My Eternity
by Setsuya77
Summary: His heart had always sought him out, no matter what. Even after he crushed his spirit, his love remained intact. He would forever and always be... his eternity.
1. Tetsuya's POV

_**My Eternity**_

For as long as I had known him, he took my breath away. No matter what he did, my heart would skip a beat. Even when he was in full on emperor mode, all I could do was be amazed by his presence and the fact that no matter what he did, he was in control.

It started when I met him in middle school. Though I lack the words to describe our encounter, if I had to sum it up in one word, it would be _magical._

…..

For my whole life, I had gone unnoticed, always slipping under the radar. I was never above average, always just getting by with my studies. Even if my face shows none of my emotions, it doesn't mean I don't feel. Since I was a child, all I have known is darkness, I have always been a ghost. To cope with my complete loneliness, I found basketball. Though I was never particularly good, I was finally happy. I had found something that finally allowed me to exist and be known, even if only by an inanimate ball. I put all my frustrations, sorrows, _dreams,_ into basketball, but once I entered middle school, everything came crashing down. I was sent to the third string with no hope of crawling my way back up.

Even if I was cast aside yet I again, I was not ready to give up, so I practiced, practiced more than anybody else. I was practically living in the third string gym. That is where I met Aomine Daiki. Though he was on the first string, an amazing group of young athletes who were surprisingly the same age as me, he was unexpectedly down to Earth. We became fast friends, and he helped me practice basketball.

Everything seemed to be looking up for me, expect for the fact that I wasn't improving. No matter how hard I tried, nothing made me better. And then, when I was close to the edge, ready to fall back into my pit of despair, I was pulled back into the light, and the first thing I remember seeing was the most beautiful pair of eyes I had ever seen.

…..

Those heterochromatic eyes that were full of life belonged to the one and only Akashi Seijuuro. He was also on the first string of the Teiko basketball club, but the only thing that I could register as I cast my empty eyes in his direction, was his sheer presence. The second thought that ran through my mind when I finally snapped out of my stupor, was that those beautiful eyes found me and locked on immediately. In a word, I was shocked. Completely and utterly, shocked.

How could he notice my presence right away when he didn't even know I existed? Even Aomine-kun had a hard time finding me sometimes and we were basically best friends. After my shock wore off, I stared into those beautiful red and yellow eyes, and from that day forward, my life changed forever.

…..

In my first year at Seirin, I found myself reflecting on my middle school years. At this point in time, I once again found myself on the edge of devastation. My friends had changed, they lost their love of basketball, and it seemed everyone was a one-man team. Even Akashi-kun. The always in control Akashi-kun, had changed the most. As if he was a different person. Even if he crushed my spirit as well as the others' love for basketball, I found that the one thing he couldn't ever crush, even after his change in personality, was my love. No, not my love for the game, but my love for him, which I discovered on my last day in Teiko, when I told him I'd be going to Seirin.

…..

Seirin and I have been slowly but surely helping the Generation of Miracles get their love of basketball back. Though this does make me happy, I am a greedy person, and the one thing I wish for the most, above all else, is to once again stare into those beautiful, lively eyes of my love. Not the cold, calculating ones that have been present for a while now, but the ones that saved me all those years ago. The ones that pulled me from my shell and thrust me into the light, the ones that saw me, the ones that _really_ saw _me._

I wanted to be the one to bring him back. I wanted to be the one he thanked, the one that filled up his mind, the one he couldn't get over, no matter what he did, or how hard he tried. I wanted to return the favor, and save him from himself. I wanted to be the one he gave his heart, the one he loved. I wanted to be to him what he was to me… My eternity…


	2. Chapter 2

After Seirin had defeated Kise, Aomine, Murasakibara, and Midorima, it was finally time to face the last boss. The King. The Emperor. The one and only, Akashi Seijuurou.

It proved to be an intimidating thought, as Seirin began their warm-up for the game. Kuroko stole glances toward the emperor every so often. He was amazed, as always, by the way his presence commanded everyone in the room to obey him, to look at him, to watch as he took what was rightfully his. At least that is how it had always been, and Kuroko was determined to change that. Most of all, he wanted _his_ Akashi back. And he would get him back, no matter what it took.

When he finally pulled his gaze away from the commanding red-head, he steeled his nerves and focused on his warm-up. He needed to be in his best condition if he was going to come close to beating Akashi and Rakuzan. Though it was a steep mountain to climb, he would do it, along with his teammates, and he would do it without fear, as the only thing he could think of, the only thing he could _wish for_ , was to once again see the burning passion in those beautiful heterochromatic eyes.

He snapped out of his daydreaming when he felt Kagami give him a pat on the back and a thumbs-up. He closed his eyes and calmed himself, before opening them again, with a fierce determination shining in his big, blue eyes.

Its game time!

…..

For the first few moments after the buzzer sounded, the audience had almost been completely silent.

Confetti rained down as Seirin jumped and yelled in victory. Rakuzan had lost. THE Rakuzan, along with Akashi Seijuurou had lost, and to a relatively new team at that. What an upset!

As his teammates jumped and screamed and hugged around him, Kuroko found himself searching. Searching for the reason he was where he was today. Searching for who his heart longed for. Searching for Akashi Seijuurou. And when his icy blue eyes found what they craved, he couldn't stop his heart from taking off to the races.

He found Akashi in a trance, a very rare sight. Kuroko couldn't take the years of separation any longer, and so he made his way over to Akashi. When he stood before his former captain, he couldn't stop his heart from aching when he saw the unshed tears surrounding those beautiful eyes. Though he willed away the ache, as he knew they were not tears of pain or sorrow, but instead tears of _relief._

As he stood before Akashi, the man his heart had always longed for, he spoke the words he had wished to say for so long, so long that he began to fear he wouldn't get the chance…

"Akashi-kun…

Welcome back..."

And for the first time in years, he closed his tired eyes and let his tears fall, washing away his pain, his suffering, and his loneliness that had been like a shadow over his mind since the day Akashi had changed.

When he opened his eyes and lowered his head, he once again locked on to the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, even to this day, and he didn't think that would ever change. As they gazed at each other, he saw the gratefulness in the emperor's eyes, and for the first time in a long time, possibly ever, he gave a truly genuine smile as he felt warm arms envelop him in a tight embrace, refusing to let go. And as he returned the embrace, he heard Akashi hoarsely whisper his reply...

"Tetsuya, I'm back..."


	3. Seijuurou's POV

I have watched him from a distance for a long time.

I watched him grow and develop. I watched as he formed friendships that should have lasted forever. And I also watched all those things crumble down under the weight of my absolute leadership. I saw the light fade out of his ever-determined eyes, and I witnessed his stone mask finally reach completion. I saw him become the perfect phantom, forever condemned to the shadows, never allowed to shine bright or experience greatness on his own.

While these events took place, and his spirit was crushed, I had not been myself. I wanted, no, _needed_ , absolute control, and it all came to me for the simple price of a few useless emotions.

Or so I believed at the time.

I have since come to realize just how much my actions had affected the team, but most importantly, how they affected _him…_ my Tetsuya…

…..

I had thought everything was in my grasp, within my control, but the metaphorical rug was pulled out from under my feet at the Winter Cup Final.

…..

It was as if I resurfaced from water, (Actually, more like mud) and I was finally able to see again. I was no longer cold and calculating, I no longer felt the need to assert my dominance and make all bow before me. I had woken up from a long slumber, and what I saw before me was a magnificent sight. It was my beloved Tetsuya. He was waiting for me, and though I would never admit it, I would never be more grateful to anyone. He took all the pressure away from me, all my duties, responsibilities, and expectations, and _finally_ allowed me to be _me._ Not the robot I had been programmed to be.

…..

After Tetsuya and I reunited at the Winter Cup final, where I experienced defeat for the first time, I felt a weight begin to crush my heart. Not because of defeat, or the disappointment that would surely come from my father, but because all the horrible things I had done to Tetsuya resurfaced to the forefront of my mind, fighting away all other thoughts. It made me sick to my stomach knowing that _I_ had done those things to him. Though he may have forgiven me, I don't think I can ever forgive myself. I hurt the one person I shouldn't ever hurt, the only person to ever be completely on my side for _me,_ instead of my money and status. He is my light, the one who restored my emotions, the only one to never give up on me, no matter what I threw at him. The only one to _love_ me, even when my own father couldn't.

While I reflect on the last few years, I am shocked to find how much he affects me, and how much just the thought of his emotionless face plays my heart like a drum. I have never felt so weak before, but at the same time, I have never felt more powerful, more _alive_. This feeling, while relatively new to me, is _exhilarating._

While everyone else has yet to discover our feelings, we know we must one day make the world know of our love. Our teammates already look to be a big obstacle in the distance that we must overcome. And while I know that that also means one day telling my father, I find myself unafraid. If Tetsuya is with me, I wouldn't care even if the whole world turned against us…

…..

He makes me complete. He drives me to be better. He is my best friend, my light, my love, my life, my passion… _My eternity_.


	4. Chapter 4

Usually, he would be all alone on his birthday. His parents worked overseas, so he was always alone at home, and since he was practically invisible everywhere else, he didn't really have friends to celebrate with. So, when his birthday was approaching in his first year of high school, he thought nothing of it. It would be the same, just like any other day. He would wake up, and continue his same old, boring routine and then fall asleep, alone, like every other day preceding that one.

Or so he thought.

One could say he was shocked to find out Momoi had planned to get all the Generation of Miracles together to play street ball, and on his birthday too! One could also say he was shocked to find out that his teammates from Seirin had been planning him a birthday party, but that would be a _huge_ understatement.

So, when the 31st of January rolled around, one Kuroko Tetsuya was certainly very happy. He would be seeing his old teammates, and it would be their first gathering since they all regained their love of basketball. He absolutely couldn't wait.

…..

He lay there in bed, early on the morning of January 31st. He had surprisingly woken up a good hour before his alarm was to go off, and so he waited, staring at the ceiling, bursting with excitement, although it didn't show on his face. When he finally heard the annoying blaring of the alarm clock, he shot out of his bed like it was on fire. One may think he was overly excited, but to Kuroko, this was a very first for him. He had never had a birthday party planned for him before, but besides that, he couldn't wait to see Akashi. They hadn't really met each other since the Winter Cup Final, as Akashi had been busy trying to appease his father and make up for his so-called "failure". While they didn't really have the chance to meet, they still texted each other and sometimes even had conversations on the phone. So, while Kuroko was excited to see his friends and attend his first birthday party ever, his heart would not slow down, as the thought of Akashi had never left his mind.

Realizing he had been standing in the middle of his room daydreaming, Kuroko shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts, and went to the bathroom to get ready…

After he finished his shower, he pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts. He still had around 30 minutes until he had to leave. Since he was going to be playing basketball, he decided he should have a proper breakfast for once, instead of just bread or the occasional vanilla milkshake.

He made his way into the kitchen and took out a pan to make himself some eggs. While he wanted to have a better meal, the most he could really cook was scrambled eggs and some toast. And that is exactly what he did.

As he sat down at the table with his breakfast and a glass of orange juice, he felt his phone vibrate. He retrieved his phone from his pocket, and was surprised to find a message from Akashi.

 **From:** Akashi-kun

 **Subject:** Happy Birthday

 **Message:** Good morning, Tetsuya. I hope you are having a proper breakfast, I know of your small appetite, but physical exercise requires a good amount of energy, so make sure to eat properly. I will see you soon, however, I wanted to be the first to wish you a happy birthday.

A smile spread across his face as he read the message. It was unusual for Akashi to send such a long text, but it made him overjoyed that he was worried for him and that he wished him a happy birthday. He also found it funny how they had been thinking the same thing, although Akashi's version of a "proper breakfast" was probably more along the lines of a three-course meal. As he downed the rest of his orange juice, he sent off a quick thank you, saying that he will seem him soon, and jumped up from the table to wash his dishes.

He sprinted out the door after he was done, not able to wait any longer. His heart couldn't take anymore waiting, and he swore to himself that no matter the outcome, he was going to confess to Akashi today. Come hell or high water, he would do it. Although the thought scared him, he could no longer keep his love contained. The love that survived Akashi's personality change, and continued to grow every day, even if they only exchanged one or two words.

…..

As Kuroko approached the basketball courts, he saw that Aomine, Kise, and Momoi had already arrived. Quietly, like the phantom he is, he approached the group and as usual, scared the living daylights out of Aomine.

"Tetsu-kun!"

"Kurokocchi!"

Excited shouts of his name were made by both Kise and Momoi, and afterwards, he was pleasantly surprised to receive a gift from Momoi. Soon after, Midorima was delivered by Takao, and he received his "lucky item" for the day.

As Kuroko held the little chick keychain in his hand, he couldn't help but let his mind wander once again to a certain red-head. Though he was definitely going to confess today, no matter what, he just couldn't calm his nerves. Well, who wouldn't be nervous when they were going to confess to the love of their life? While he knew Akashi felt something towards him, he didn't know what. Was it just gratefulness that he restored his former self? Or did he feel something more than that, something closer to what Kuroko himself felt for the red-head? He certainly hoped it was the latter rather than the former.

He was startled out of his inner dialogue when he heard the deep, rich voice he had been waiting to hear for some time now, and not just on the other side of the phone.

"Hello everyone." Said Akashi as he walked closer to the group.

"Tetsuya, once again, Happy Birthday."

"Thank you, Akashi-kun. It is good to see you again." Replied Kuroko with suppressed excitement that went undetected by everyone except, of course, Akashi.

A red eyebrow raised slightly as he sent a small, but nonetheless real, smile in Kuroko's direction before pasting on his signature smirk for the rest of the group, that group including Murasakibara who just appeared from the woods nearby.

Kuroko once again felt his heart skip a beat, and he couldn't stop the slight, red tinge from spreading across his face. Thankfully, no one noticed, as they were all busy greeting Akashi and beginning to sort out how they would proceed with their game.

As Kuroko turned his head toward the blue, winter sky, he willed his heart to beat normally. He took a deep breath and after a few moments, released…This would be a long day if his heart beat 100 miles an hour with just a small smile from Akashi.

…..

Everyone was panting and sweating, but smiling and laughing as well. They played several games, each time switching up the teams. Obviously, the team Akashi was on won every time. Well duh, he's Akashi Seijuurou. He's absolute, or so he said when the others voiced this fact.

Kuroko stood off to the side with sweat dripping from his face down to his neck, and even though he was exhausted, he couldn't be happier. Of course, a part of it was because his friends were playing and joking around, just like they used to, before everything changed. But even more than that, his heart soared being able to see Akashi enjoy himself with his former teammates. Akashi had been the one to change the most, but seeing him act the way he used to and joke around, even if he occasionally issued a few death threats, was the best gift Kuroko had ever received. Realizing it was almost time for him to go to Kagami's, he decided to extend an invitation to Momoi and the rest of the Generation of Miracles.

"Um…I was wondering if everyone would like to come with me to Kagami-kun's? We're having a party, and it would be more fun if you guys came too…" Kuroko nervously stated, shifting his feet slightly.

"Kurokocchi! Of course! We'd love to!" Kise exclaimed as he threw his arms around Kuroko.

Everyone else nodded their heads and voiced their agreement. Kuroko let a small smile appear on his face as his eyes travelled towards Akashi, and when he found those heterochromatic eyes staring right back at him, as if he was looking straight into his soul, his heart yet again picked up its pace. He quickly turned his head away to avoid a blush making an appearance on his cheeks, but as he did, a thought popped into his mind.

If they were all going to the party together, that would mean he would see Akashi in casual clothes, right? Oh boy, now his heart started sprinting, and this time, the blush did pop onto his cheeks. Thankfully Kise was still smothering him, otherwise he was sure his friends would have commented.

…..

After cleaning up and changing clothes, the Generation of Miracles made their way to Kagami's apartment. When they arrived, his teammates from Seirin who were already there were stunned. He brought the entire Generation of Miracles?! After the initial shock wore off, everyone settled in and began to chat amongst themselves, with a varying range of topics.

As the night carried on, and everyone was getting along, Kuroko excused himself and stepped out onto the balcony. His predicament once again established its position in the forefront of his mind. When was he going to confess? Should he even do it? At that thought, he gave himself a mental slap. Of course he was going to confess! He promised himself, and he felt that if he didn't do it today, he would never gather up the courage again.

While Kuroko mentally debated with himself, he didn't notice Akashi also step out onto the balcony. Akashi noticed the bluenette's inner turmoil, and smirked to himself. He silently stepped up to Kuroko, and gently laid a hand on his shoulder, effectively startling the bluenette.

"Akashi-kun, I didn't hear you come out. Why did you come out here? Are you not enjoying the party?" He questioned.

"I could ask the same of you, Tetsuya. Why are you not inside, enjoying your own birthday party?"

Kuroko remained silent as he locked eyes with the red-head. They stood for some time with neither uttering a word. Becoming slightly uncomfortable with the silence, Kuroko opened his mouth to speak, but was beat to the punch by Akashi.

"Tetsuya, would you mind accompanying me for a bit?" questioned Akashi as his hand moved to cup Kuroko's face. Startled by the action, the bluenette took a few moments to process Akashi's request. Go somewhere? With Akashi-kun? As he thought longer, he thought that this was his chance. When they are alone with no one around, he could finally confess! Taking a deep breath, Kuroko quietly agreed, and made his way to follow Akashi.

As they made their way through the apartment, and out the front door, Kuroko began to prepare himself for what was to come. Whether the outcome be good or bad, though he silently prayed for the former, he would accept whatever was thrown his way. And after they made their way through a park and stood before a lake under the white moonlight, he closed his eyes and let fate take the wheel…


	5. Chapter 5

After a few moments, I reopened my eyes and realized that Akashi was staring directly at me. He seemed strangely serious, and there was a look in his eyes that I could not place. After the staring contest ensued for quite some time, I felt a cool night breeze ghost over my skin and a shiver ran up my body.

"My apologies, Tetsuya. I realize it is quite late, but what I have to say cannot wait any longer." As Akashi said this, he took off his fiery red scarf that resembled his hair, and softly placed it around my neck. "That was not necessary, Akashi-kun. Now you will be cold." I protested with a slight pout on my face. While it was not a big change in my expression, it was nonetheless, a change. A change that I would only ever show in front of him.

"Hush…I could not stand if you caught a cold after I requested you come here with me. Although I am satisfied with my choice in location. Your pale skin looks very lovely in the moonlight." With that I felt my heart thud repeatedly against my ribcage and a blush storm its way onto my cheeks.

Did he really just say that?! How could he be so embarrassing? Wait, he basically just called me pretty, didn't he? What does he mean to say?!

During my mental debate, I didn't notice that Akashi moved to stand directly in front of me. However, once I finally pulled myself away from my thoughts, I saw a surreal sight.

Akashi was before me, surrounded by the pale moonlight, in all his otherworldly glory. His beautiful multi-colored eyes were staring directly into mine, and I felt a silent gasp escape my throat.

After a while, I realized I had been staring, and my blush only deepened, but I couldn't bring myself to tear my eyes away. I felt that, if I did, he would disappear, and I would wake up from this dream in my bed, alone.

"Tetsuya, if you keep staring at me like that, I may skip a few steps here…" I heard Akashi mumble, which was weird, because an Akashi doesn't _mumble_. I don't think he meant for me to hear, but I did, and I tilted my head slightly in confusion. Putting that aside for now, I decided to get to the reason we were standing under the moonlight in an empty park.

"What did you want to talk about, Akashi-kun?"

"First, before I get to the reason I asked you out here, I wanted to know if you enjoyed yourself today?" inquired Akashi. At this question, I took a moment of thought. I went through the day's events in my head.

I played basketball with the Generation of Miracles. We all laughed and joked and fooled around, just like before. Akashi seemed to be enjoying himself, and that in turn made me happy. After, we took a group picture. Which reminds me that I need to ask Momoi for a copy, but that's beside the point. We went to Kagami's, and all had a great time. But what I have enjoyed the most out of today, is being out here, alone with Akashi, though I can't say that.

"Yes, Akashi-kun. I did enjoy myself. Actually, I have been unbelievably happy all day." I replied with a small smile spreading across my face. When I looked up, my breath caught for a moment. Akashi had a smile on his face as well. A real, genuine smile. Not one of his usual smirks. "That's great Tetsuya. Hopefully that continues after our conversation. I must ask that you listen to me fully, before saying anything, okay?" I was taken aback. Did Akashi just ask, not demand? It must be something serious.

Instead of using insincere words, I opted to nod my head instead. Akashi took a deep breath, and I noticed he seemed uncharacteristically nervous. After a slight pause, Akashi began to speak…

…..

While it was very unusual for me, I was rather nervous. I had made it this far, and Tetsuya was right here before me. I planned everything out, but now that it was in motion, it was so much harder than I had thought it would be.

Confessing seemed so easy, but now that I was trying to do it, I realized how much courage this activity actual took. It made me respect all the girls who have confessed to me before, though none of them ever mattered to me. The only person I could ever see myself being with was right here in front of me, waiting for me to speak with those big curious blue eyes of his.

Oh, how those eyes captivated me. They were like two whirlpools that always sucked me in without fail.

Oh great, now I'm getting side-tracked.

Taking a deep breath and silently telling myself 'It's now or never', I opened my mouth to finally make my feelings known. The feelings I have had kept a secret for so long now…

…..

As Kuroko stood there, waiting for Akashi to speak, he felt something cold land on his cheek. When he looked towards the night sky, he realized it had begun snowing. Hearing Akashi release a sigh, he shifted his gaze back towards his crush.

"Before I begin, Tetsuya, I must apologize for all that I have done to you before. All the horrible things I've said and done, and for ruining the Teiko team." Kuroko opened his mouth to protest, but before he could speak, he felt a warm finger touch his lips.

"Quiet, Tetsuya. I won't let you argue what you know is true." Akashi scolded, and Kuroko hesitantly closed his mouth and let him continue.

"As I was saying, I sincerely regret my actions back in middle school. I have no excuses for what I have done, and now I can only ask you to forgive me. No matter how long it takes, I swear upon my name that I will make everything right…"

This time, before Akashi could silence him, Kuroko spoke up.

"Akashi-kun, apologies are not necessary. All that matters now is that you are here now, back with the rest of us…" Kuroko said as a smile lit up his face.

Seeing this, Akashi's heart skipped a beat. He would never get tired of seeing Kuroko smile. Whenever he graced the world with one of his beautiful smiles, it always seemed to make the surroundings much brighter.

"I appreciate the sentiment Tetsuya. I makes me happy to know you don't blame me, even if what I say is factual. Despite everything that I have done, I can't change the way I feel…"

Tilting his head in confusion once again, Kuroko just waited for Akashi to continue.

"No matter when or where, you have always been my light, Tetsuya. You keep me grounded, even if you have no knowledge of ever doing so. You make my world brighter, my day happier, my life more enjoyable.

Since I was young, I have never really known love. All my relationships have been based on whether someone could be useful to me or not. Everyone that wasn't, I had no hesitation in discarding. I admit, when I first met you, I didn't see any use for you beyond basketball. But slowly, as we spent more time together and I got to know you, everything changed." Akashi took a small breath, and without allowing anytime for Kuroko to comment, continued voicing his feelings.

"Just the thought of you got my heart racing. At first, I was unsure of my feelings, so I tucked them away. I had no time to discover what they were, I needed to follow my father's wishes and be the best in everything. I regret throwing away my emotions, of course. But what I regret the most, what _really_ keeps me awake at night, is knowing that I hurt you. I hurt the one person I shouldn't ever hurt. I hurt the one I love…"

Hearing this, Kuroko's breath got caught in his throat as he threw a hand up to cover his mouth. Akashi continued…

"Tetsuya…I love you…"


	6. Chapter 6

He had always dreamt of this moment. Dreamt of Akashi loving him, dreamt of them being together. But actually hearing those words come out of his mouth, it was too overwhelming.

For a few moments, he blankly stared back at Akashi, still with a hand over his mouth. After just a few seconds though, he felt something warm run down his cheeks.

His whole body was shaking and his legs felt like jelly. Not being able to take it anymore, he fell to his knees and buried his faces in his hands, letting his tears run freely.

Seeing this scene, Akashi froze up. He hadn't meant to make the bluenette cry! Slightly panicking, he quickly knelt to the ground.

"Tetsuya! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry…You don't have to return my feelings, I just wanted you to-" Before he could continue, a mass of blue surged towards him and knocked him backwards.

Using his quick reflexes, Akashi caught himself before he hit the ground while wrapping an arm around the bluenette at the same time.

"T-these aren't s-sad tears, A-Akashi-kun. They're tears of joy…" Kuroko shakily whispered as he buried his face into Akashi's neck. Everything was just so overwhelming. The love of his life just confessed to him, what could be better?

"This is the best present I have ever received. Akashi-kun, I have loved you for a long time…Ever since middle school…"

Once Akashi heard those words, his heart nearly stopped. After taking a moment to recover, a smile spread across Akashi's face. Slowly, he shifted so that he could wrap both arms around the bluenette. He placed a soft, gentle kiss to the crown of Kuroko's head before saying, "Oh Tetsuya…You don't know how happy you have made me…"

Even though they sat there in the frigid winter air, they weren't cold. Being next to each other was enough, and neither was bothered by the silence. In fact, it brought them both comfort, sitting there in each other's embrace…

…..

After a while of sitting in Akashi's lap, unbelievably happy, I felt my phone vibrate. Retrieving it from my pocket, I saw a message from Kagami.

 **From:** Kagami-kun

 **Subject:** Where r u?!

 **Message:** Oi, Kuroko! Where did you go? We still haven't had the cake, and we can't exactly start without the birthday boy, can we?! Get ur butt back here!

Sighing, I put my phone back into my pocket and made to get up. However, I didn't get far when I felt Akashi's vice-grip tighten around me.

"Going somewhere, Tetsuya?"

Realizing that I was still on Akashi's lap, my face erupted into a scarlet blush. "Please let me go, Akashi-kun. Kagami-kun informed me that it is time to cut the cake…" This time when I tried to get up, I was successful. Turning around to face Akashi, I lent him a hand to help him up.

Once he was up, I was shocked to feel a yank on my arm and I fell into his chest.

"Akashi-kun!" I shouted in embarrassment.

"What, isn't this where you belong? I won't let you forget this conversation, Tetsuya. However, seeing as it is your birthday and your team has thrown you a party, I will wait to discuss things in more detail until a later date." Akashi said as he let me go.

Deciding not to answer him, I bent down to pick up his scarf that fell when I tackled him. When I turned in the direction of Kagami's house, I felt his lips by my ear as he whispered, "While I said I would wait to discuss things, that doesn't mean we aren't already lovers…" A shiver ran up my spine as I felt those lips press against my nape.

Grabbing my neck and turning back toward Akashi, I could swear my face was redder than his hair.

"AKASHI-KUN!" I yelled indignantly.

As he began to walk away, I heard his deep, rich chuckle rumble through the air. Sighing, I made my way to follow him. A smile practically split my face open, but he didn't need to know that, now did he?

…..

The first thing they heard as they walked back into Kagami's apartment was Aomine's gruff voice.

"Oi, Tetsu! Where ya been? We've been waiting for you!"

"I just took a walk Aomine-kun." He replied in his usual monotone voice with an equally emotionless face. Hearing his bland reply, Aomine huffed in annoyance, but decided to let it go for once. It was his birthday after all.

"Whatever, let's just cut the cake before Murasakibara loses it and shoves it down his throat…" Hearing the words 'cut the cake', everyone dashed to sit around the table. Momoi gestured for Kuroko to sit at the head of the table, while Riko ordered Kagami to get the cake from the kitchen.

The cake was placed in front of Kuroko, and after his friends sang, he blew out the candles. While you're supposed to make a wish when you blow out the candles, Kuroko found that he had none. The Generation of Miracles all liked playing basketball again, Seirin won the winter cup, and he and Akashi finally confessed their feelings for each other.

Kuroko scanned his gaze over his friends and teammates. Everyone was laughing and joking and having a great time. It was a welcomed change, enjoying his own birthday for once. As he went back over his day in his mind, his eyes found Akashi and stayed. After a few moments, Akashi shifted his eyes to Kuroko, and when he caught him staring, a small smile graced his beautiful face. Feeling a blush rise on his cheeks, Kuroko put his head down and finally decided to listen to what Kise had been saying to him.

As he listened to his friend babble away, he smiled to himself. This had been his best birthday by far. Especially since he had gotten what he always wanted.

…..

Kuroko got home quite late that night. He unlocked the door and went inside. Going over to the phone, he saw that there were no messages or missed calls on the phone. Looks like his parents forgot his birthday…again. At least they remembered to send money every month. Maybe he should get a part-time job just in case they do eventually forget. He wouldn't put it passed them and he also knew that they were unlikely to answer any calls or texts from him.

Well, whatever. Kuroko wasn't about to let that ruin his mood. As he went to ready the bath, he thought about his day…He was so far passed happy, he felt like he was on cloud nine. After eating the cake and talking with his friends and teammates for a bit longer, everyone began to disperse. Kuroko decided to stay and help Kagami cleanup, which took a while. Once they were done, he wished Kagami a good night, and made his way out the door. What he was not expecting was for Akashi to be standing outside of the apartment building.

After speaking to him for a bit, he was surprised to be asked out on a date next Saturday. He agreed, of course, and blushed to the tips of his ears after getting a peck on the cheek from Akashi. As he watched his back until he faded from sight, Kuroko gently touched fingers to his cheek, feeling the warmth from his blush in the process.

Only the feeling of his phone vibrating indicating a message finally broke Kuroko out of his daydreaming. Grabbing his phone from his pocket, his face lit up when he realized he got a text from Akashi.

 **From:** Akashi-kun

 **Subject:** Goodnight, Love

 **Message:** Once again, I wish you a happy birthday. I will be in contact about our date next weekend. I sincerely hope you had a good day, I sure know I did. Goodnight, love.

After reading Akashi's message about five times, Kuroko couldn't stop the girly squeal from bursting through his lips. Give him a break, okay? He's been in love with the guy for years now, and when he says things like that, a guy can't help himself. Anyway, not the point.

Deciding to respond with a simple 'goodnight', Kuroko plugged in his phone and set it on his bedside table (Not before reading the message a few more times, of course). Going into the bathroom, he found that his bath was ready. He's said it a few times, but he'll say it again. Today had really been the best birthday he's ever had. His parents haven't been home for years now, and he's practically invisible, so who would celebrate a phantom's birthday?

Stripping himself of his clothes, he carefully stepped into the bath, and let the water wash away all his cares and worries, leaving him only images of Akashi.


	7. Chapter 7

The days following his birthday, Kuroko was ecstatic. While a normal person may not notice any change on his emotionless face, his teammates certainly could. They've know him long enough to be able to tell when he's happy or sad, at least. And he was definitely happy.

Though his teammates could tell he was happy, they didn't know why, and it sort of creeped them out. A happy Kuroko was unexplored territory for them. Even when they won the Winter Cup he wasn't as happy as he was now. So, to say that his team was tense around him was bit of an understatement. The tension only eased when Kuroko finished changing and left the locker room after practice.

When he left, the team collectively released the breath they had all been holding. "What's up with Kuroko this week? He's been unusually happy. I even saw him smile at his phone. I mean it was really only a twitch of his lips, but still!" Kagami burst out after having enough of the silence. "Quiet, Bakagami! He might still be outside the door!" Riko scolded as she slapped him in the back of the head.

Even though Kagami was scolded, everyone had been wondering the same thing. What could possibly happen to make him so happy? Sure, they threw him a party for his birthday, but it wasn't such a great thing to make the phantom be that happy in the days following. Something must have happened that day, and they were all determined to find out what it was…

…..

Riko's worries had been proven true, as Kuroko was outside the door when Kagami had his outburst. It wasn't very shocking to him. He already knew they were all curious to know why he was so happy, but that was a secret he was going to keep. Of course, Kuroko wished he could inform his friends about his and Akashi's relationship, but he was scared of what they would think. And even if his friends accepted them, he was worried about Akashi. He didn't want him to get in trouble for being with him, and Kuroko knew Akashi's father wasn't a very accepting man.

Turning away from the door when the locker room once again fell silent, Kuroko started to make his way home, all the while thinking of his and Akashi's relationship. Even though they had only been going out for a few days, he couldn't be happier. They texted each other every morning and during the day, and spoke on the phone every night. Sometimes they even skyped each other when Akashi had some spare time. The last few days, they had been planning their date for the weekend. Since they both disliked crowded and noisy places, they crossed out amusements parks, although they would like to go together one day. Also, even though they both liked the library and frequented one a few times a week, it wasn't exactly the best place for a date, so they crossed that out too. Basketball was something they both enjoyed, but they could do that anytime, so that one was a no-go.

Thinking about the last few days and planning his date with Akashi, Kuroko was having a lot of fun. He never thought he would be the type to enjoy dating or even _be with_ someone. Of course, he liked Akashi since middle school, but he never thought his love would be requited. Now that all those things are happening, he's unexpectedly enjoying it. He practically counts down the minutes until he can talk to Akashi again. Oh great, does that make him like some love-sick teenage girl? Well, he basically is, minus the girl part. Anyway, back to the point.

Since he's been having a good time, he hasn't been as vigilant as he should. He let his emotions slip, and his team noticed. Seeing as they were having a meeting about it, Kuroko should keep his guard up, and make sure no one finds out. He'd do anything for Akashi, even if it means lying and hiding things from his friends…

...

Surprisingly, Akashi was in a similar situation. His teammates had noticed his good mood since the beginning of the week, much to their disbelief and fear. They had a camp coming up, so he must be planning to drag them to hell. He must be imagining their pain and laughing about it. Why else would the demon be in such a good mood?

Although Akashi let his guard slip a bit around his team, he sure as hell made sure he didn't let any emotions slip around his father. He couldn't let him find out about his relationship with Kuroko, or the other would be in danger. While his father wasn't a very supportive person under normal circumstances, if he found out Akashi was dating a boy? Watch out. He'd be out for blood.

Knowing this, Akashi would do everything in his power to protect Kuroko. He would hide his relationship for as long as he could. Hopefully that would be well after he had already taken over the business, and his father couldn't do anything about it. While Akashi was determined to keep their relationship a secret, he couldn't stop himself from being uncharacteristically happy. He got to talk to Kuroko every day, and they were even going on a date this weekend!

Akashi found himself enjoying planning the date with Kuroko. Although he never thought he was the boyfriend type, he was rather happy with being with Kuroko. He also never thought he would be the type to spoil their lover, but that's all he wanted to do. Spoil Kuroko. Treat him right. Give him everything he deserved and more. And to Akashi, Kuroko deserved the world…

…..

On Thursday that week, Kuroko once again felt his teammates' eyes on him. Sighing to himself, he chose to ignore the curiosity that was almost slapping him in the face. Even if he was being careful, he sometimes couldn't stop the smile that forced its way onto his face after reading texts from Akashi. Even simple ones that suggested a place for their date that weekend. Kuroko couldn't help himself, being with Akashi just made him so happy, even if he had to keep it a secret.

Becoming tired of the stares after a while, Kuroko glanced around the room, making eye contact with his whole team. Sighing, he knew that even though the battle in front of him was inevitable, it would also be long and tiresome. Shaking off his negative thoughts, he turned his glance into a glare.

"Is there something I can help you all with? I thought it was practice time, so if there's nothing, please return to your drills or I will be angry." Kuroko declared as he went to fetch the balls he had been shooting. He didn't miss the flinches from his teammates as they ran this way and that, making themselves busy.

He takes that back. The battle ahead of him wouldn't just be long and tiresome, it looked like it would get on every last one of his nerves. Even so, Kuroko wouldn't let his team find out about his relationship.

After finishing all of his drills, he went to the locker room to change. Riko hadn't been able to make it to practice that day, which was very surprising. Even then, she didn't cancel it, and instead left drills for them to self-practice. Also very surprising was the fact that he had less than everyone else. Not that Kuroko was complaining. Stripping himself of his sweaty clothes, Kuroko grabbed a towel and went to shower. He was supposed to be skyping Akashi after practice and even if Akashi couldn't smell him, he still wanted to look nice. Not the exhausted mess he was.

They would be finalizing their plans for their date today, as Akashi wasn't going to be available tomorrow. His father was having him attend one of the board meetings, and those tended to last a while. Kuroko was sad he wouldn't be able to hear from Akashi, but he knew he had responsibilities, and he wasn't about to act like some crazy stalker girl and demand they talk anyway.

While Kuroko was in the shower, his teammates snuck into the locker room and started rifling through his bag. Riko being absent from practice was all a part of their plan. She even gave Kuroko the least amount of work to do so he would go in the showers first. It was a brilliant plan if she did say so herself.

After finding no indication of why Kuroko was so happy in his locker or his bag, they decided to check his phone. "Uhh…Should we really do this? Kuroko is gonna be pissed…" For once, Kagami of all people was the voice of reason. "Oh shut up, Kagami. He won't be pissed if he doesn't find out, so shut your trap! Besides, don't you want to know why he's so happy?" came Hyuuga's angry voice. "But this is an invasion of priv-! Oh, who am I kidding! Gimme the phone!" Kagami said as he grabbed for the phone. He was rather curious, and what Kuroko didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

Finally coming to a decision, they all crowded around Kagami as he turned on the phone. When it came on, they were surprised to see that it required a password. "Dammit, what would his password be? I already tried his birthday, but no dice…" Kagami stated in exasperation. "Why would he put a password on his phone?" Koganei spoke through the silence.

"To keep prying eyes out, obviously."

They all jumped in shock as a voice suddenly sounded from behind them. Looks like Kagami's premonition was coming true. Too scared to turn around, the team all stayed completely still. No one dared move a muscle.

"Everyone, would you kindly tell me why you have my phone?" This time, the voice spread rather icily through the air, chilling them all to the bones. Uh-oh. They really made him mad now.

…..

Honestly, Kuroko was beyond mad. He was already tired of the curious stares, but now he had to deal with his team invading his privacy too? Sure he was happy and it was unusual, but he really thought his team would respect him more than that. Feeling his ire rise, he yanked the phone out of Kagami's hand, and took his bag from Hyuuga.

"If you would all excuse me, I'm going to head home." Kuroko huffed out as he gave them all a death glare. Turning on his heel, he stormed out the door, slightly slamming it for good measure. Hopefully seeing that they upset him would make them stop snooping for a while. All he wanted right now was to get home and skype his boyfriend. That thought brought his irritation down considerably. It also made him giggle like a little girl, but he would never admit it if anyone asked.


	8. Chapter 8

I sat in my room Friday night feeling extremely excited. Under all my excitement, I was a bit nervous. I had never been on a date before, and I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of Akashi. During our skype call yesterday, we decided to let Akashi have control of our date plans. Even though we had originally wanted to plan it together, he didn't have much time to talk, so we settled for him planning it.

Whether we planned it together or not, I can't wait. We're supposed to meet up at the park nearby my house tomorrow at eleven a.m. Even though we didn't get to talk today, I'm kind of glad Akashi's father made him attend that board meeting. It was held in the Tokyo office, since his father had other business there as well, but because of that we can have our date.

Although I'm excited for our date, its causing me to not be able to sleep. There's still twelve hours until our date but it's all I can think about…Oh brother…

…..

Several hours passed and Kuroko drifted in and out of consciousness. His excitement and nervousness mixed together resulted in a fitful rest, much to his displeasure. He needed to sleep, or he might wake up late and he wouldn't make it on time for their date. Sure, being late wasn't such a big deal, but what if Akashi had made reservations somewhere or something? That could cause his whole plan to be messed up, and Kuroko certainly didn't want that. Especially if Akashi took time out of his busy day just to put together an itinerary for their date.

Rolling over for the fifth time in as many minutes, Kuroko had enough. It was already two in the morning, and he hadn't slept more than an hour. Deciding he had to do something, Kuroko went to his bathroom. Maybe a hot bath followed by a glass of warm milk would help him fall asleep. Well, even if it didn't, trying something was better than tossing and turning anyway, right?

Adding some bubble bath, (what a man, right?) Kuroko slowly slid into the bath tub. Hopefully after soaking he'd be tired, even if only a little bit. As he lay his head back and closed his eyes, he silently hoped to himself that he wouldn't get tired enough to fall asleep in the bath…

…..

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Be- *Smack!*

Flinging himself upright, Kuroko rubbed his weary eyes. After letting his vision adjust to the brightness of his room, Kuroko realized he had hit his alarm clock across the room…oops. Picking up his phone to check the time, his eyes flew open and he sprung out of his bed to dash to his bathroom. 10:30!? He was going to be late! It took ten minutes to get to the park where he was supposed to meet Akashi, and he hadn't even found anything to wear yet!

Kuroko's feeling of disbelief was renewed when he caught sight of his hair in the mirror. It was standing up in all directions and no matter how much he brushed it, it would not go down. Internally freaking out, Kuroko thought that the bath and milk last night worked a little _too well_. 'What a way to start my day…!' he inwardly sobbed to himself.

…..

Unlike Kuroko, Akashi was surprisingly having a good morning. He got up thirty minutes before his alarm, giving him plenty of time to get ready. While all his clothes would be considered "fancy", he chose something more casual. He didn't want to intimidate Kuroko or anything. Since Akashi got up early, he also had time to take a shower and style his hair, something he doesn't do very often.

While Akashi was getting ready, he silently thanked his father for having business in Tokyo. It allowed him to be able to take Kuroko out, without having to find some excuse for leaving Kyoto. Even though he didn't particularly care, he was rather surprised that his father hadn't come to his hotel room. He would usually at least greet him in the morning before work, but it's not like Akashi cared either way. All that was on his mind was his first date with the man who lit up his world.

After he took his shower and got dressed, Akashi realized he still had a while before he had to leave. Thinking it over, he found that it wouldn't hurt to be early. Being early was better than being late, and being late was something an Akashi certainly _never_ was. With that in mind, Akashi grabbed his cell phone, coat, and a scarf, and made his way out his door.

…..

After frantically getting ready, Kuroko made a mad dash out of his house and towards the park. In his haste, he forgot his phone on his dresser and his coat on the rack by the door. Even so, he only cared that he was running late. What a great way to start their first date, he was already five minutes late! 'Why was the world against him today?' he thought as he weaved in and out of people, the park entrance finally coming into sight.

Akashi stood under a large oak tree, checking his watch for a second time. It was 11:05, where was Kuroko? Even though tardiness was something that really irritated him, he found that he didn't mind waiting for Kuroko. He'd wait as long as he had to, if only it meant seeing his beautiful, emotionless face. Picking his head up, he caught sight of blue in the distance. Smirking to himself, he realized Kuroko was running, and he could even make out his flushed face from where he was standing. Seemed like today would be interesting.

"I'm sorry, Akashi-kun. I couldn't sleep last night so I didn't wake up to my alarm." Kuroko apologized as soon as he was in earshot.

"Think nothing of it, Tetsuya. However, why couldn't you sleep last night?" As if realizing he'd been caught red-handed, Kuroko's face erupted into a blush, pulling a smirk onto Akashi's face. He had his suspicions as to why Kuroko couldn't sleep last night, but he'd like to hear it directly from the source.

"….as…cited…" Kuroko mumbled, voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Would you mind repeating?" Akashi feigned innocence as the smirk on his face grew larger and larger. He enjoyed watching Kuroko struggle with his embarrassment.

"I said I couldn't sleep because I was….ited…" Kuroko once again mumbled the reason, turning his head away. How embarrassing. He can tell Akashi is teasing him. Kuroko knows that Akashi already has guesses as to why he couldn't sleep. He's absolute, after all.

"Sorry, you'll have to speak up." Gathering his courage and throwing his pride out the window, Kuroko faced Akashi again. "I said I was excited for our date, that is why I couldn't sleep!" he slightly raised his voice, which only further fed Akashi's amusement.

Smiling, Akashi gathered Kuroko up in his arms and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I know, love. I was too. Just a little punishment for being late." he stated as he buried his face in the crook of Kuroko's neck. As he did, he finally realized that Kuroko wasn't wearing a coat or scarf. Sighing to himself and shaking his head, Akashi suggested they move to a café to warm Kuroko up and have a light lunch.

While he insisted Kuroko leave the plans for their date to him, he wasn't really sure what to do. He hadn't really been on many dates, and even the ones he'd been on had been to high-class restaurants, which he knew Kuroko wouldn't like. With all that in mind, he decided to play everything by ear, though he did plan for them to see a movie later in the evening.

"Come, Tetsuya. I have been looking forward to spending my day with you." Akashi declared as he placed an arm around Kuroko's shoulders, making the other blush but still nod his head.

After placing his scarf around Kuroko's neck, reminiscent of the night he confessed, they headed off to begin their first date as lovers, first date ever, actually.


	9. Chapter 9

After eating a light lunch in a café, Akashi and Kuroko decided to head to the mall. While neither of them liked crowded places, they thought it would be fun to shop together. Besides, the movie theater was inside the mall, so after some shopping they could go see their movie. Or at least that is what Akashi had told Kuroko. Not minding what they do, Kuroko agreed.

Arriving at the mall, they decided to go into a clothing store first. Since Kuroko and Akashi had opposite styles, they came up with a game where the other picked out their clothes. Whatever they picked, had to be tried on, and if the chooser decided so, they would have to purchase it and wear it into other stores. Being the gentleman he was, Akashi "oh-so generously" allowed Kuroko to choose his clothes first.

"All right then. What should I choose for Akashi-kun." Kuroko mumbled as he sifted through the clothes rack. As he looked at shirt after shirt, he thought about Akashi's current style. All the clothes he owned screamed _expensive,_ and he knows for a fact that all of the shirts Akashi owns are over $100 alone. How does he know? He asked of course, and he was rather…shocked to say the least, to find out Akashi's shirts cost ten times more than his own. Emerging from his own mind, a devious little smirk played at his lips.

Seeing his Tetsuya have a sly smirk on his lips made him wonder what was going through the bluenette's mind. Whatever it was, it would most likely be very interesting. For Kuroko at least.

Finally picking out a shirt and pants, Kuroko made his way over to Akashi. "You can't look at what I chose, all you need to do is put it on and come out of the dressing room." Kuroko informed Akashi as another small smirk appeared on his lips. "Whatever you say, love." Akashi said after placing a small peck on Kuroko's cheek.

Blushing, Kuroko watched silently as Akashi made his way into one of the dressing room stalls. After a few minutes, Akashi reemerged with a frown on his glorious face. Giving him the once over, Kuroko burst out laughing.

Kuroko had given him a pink button-up polo, pink khaki short-shorts with suspenders, and pink shin-length socks. After calming down a bit, Kuroko pulled out some lens-less glasses and placed them on his face. Even if Akashi looked like a big geek, Kuroko still found him attractive. Everything thing he wore suited him, even short-shorts and suspenders.

"You will definitely be wearing this, Akashi-kun. And remember, you have to wear it the whole rest of the date." Kuroko managed to say while wiping off a stray tear.

"Oh don't you worry Tetsuya, I will. But remember, I haven't picked anything out for you yet." Hearing this caused a shiver to run up Kuroko's spine. Oh no, what has he gotten himself into?

…..

After purchasing Akashi's clothes, it was Kuroko's turn to play dress up doll. As they walked by the men's section, he became confused, saying as much to Akashi. "Wasn't that the men's section back there, Akashi-kun? Where are we going?" He inquired, becoming even more confused by the answer he received. "Oh, you'll see, Tetsuya. You'll see…"

Furrowing his brow once again, realization suddenly hit him. "No. No, no, no! Absolutely not. No way, no how." Kuroko began furiously shaking his head and waving his hands. "You can't say no Tetsuya. We agreed on whatever I choose, you will wear." Akashi stated as his smirk grew downright devilish. This would be his revenge, his sweet, sweet revenge.

Sitting Kuroko down in a chair inside the dressing room, Akashi went to pick out clothes for him. He had a large smirk on his face the entire time, and after a few minutes, returned in front of Kuroko with some clothes in his hands. "You'll put this on, and show me. No exceptions." He said simply and went to sit outside the stall.

Grudgingly accepting the clothes from Akashi, he silently closed the door and sat back down. Did he really have to put this on? He really didn't want to be seen in these clothes, especially by Akashi. Well, they did both agree to this game, and Akashi is already keeping up his end of the deal. With a tomato red face, he slowly took off his clothes, and began putting on the things Akashi picked out for him. Even though they were _super_ embarrassing, he really was having fun on this date.

…..

"Uhm…Akashi-kun? Do I really have to wear this?" I asked, feeling the blush bloom high on my cheeks. I put everything on like Akashi said, but I was reluctant to show him after looking in the mirror. I was wearing a mini skirt and sailor top, as well as knee-high socks. Those clothes alone were embarrassing enough, but Akashi didn't stop there. He also chose a long wig that matched my blue hair that was decorated with a bright pink bow.

Taking the outfit in, I had to cover my face with my hands. I was looking at the girl version of me, and I didn't like the breezy feeling I got from wearing the short skirt. I suppose I should be grateful he didn't go as far as picking out my underwear as well. I would have died of embarrassment, not that I wasn't already.

"Yes Tetsuya, you do. Are you finished? Come out and show me." I heard the teasing in his voice, and silently asked myself what I saw in the devious red-head. After sighing, I once again looked in the mirror. I suppose it's now or never. I did agree to this whole game, and not keeping my word wouldn't be good. Especially on our first date. "Alright, but promise you won't laugh…" I mumbled, unlatching the door to the dressing room.

…..

I sat outside the changing room waiting for Tetsuya to show me the outfit I picked for him. I was having a lot of fun teasing him, and it was very rewarding seeing that blush paint his beautiful cheeks red. He's been inside the dressing room for a while, and I can only imagine what he's thinking. I kind of feel bad making him wear girls' clothes, but I've always wanted to see him in some. As I thought that, the door began opening. Looking in that direction, my jaw dropped open and a small, barely discernible blush popped onto my cheeks.

Tetsuya walked out of the room with a shy look accompanied by a very noticeable blush. I think it even reached his ears. I took in the new sight, and had to turn my head away after a while. He looked absolutely beautiful, even if he was dressed as a girl. I never thought I would like to see somebody cross-dress, but I really liked this current situation.

Gathering myself, I spoke after a few quiet minutes. "Okay, perfect. You'll be wearing this for the rest of our date." I said as the smirk once again found its way onto my face. My comment made Tetsuya blush even more. Who knew a silly dressing game could be so much fun? I surely didn't, and even though I currently looked like a geek, I think our date started out on the right foot.


	10. Chapter 10

After purchasing Kuroko's…. _outfit…_ The two made their way further into the mall. Walking around for a while, since they didn't really know where to go next, Akashi noticed something unpleasant. Many guys were looking at Kuroko, even ones with their girlfriends. This obviously didn't make Akashi happy, and he glared at each and every one of those pests. Kuroko seemed oblivious, focusing more on his own embarrassment walking around in women's clothes.

When Akashi glared at the twelfth man in five minutes, he began to regret picking out women's clothes for Kuroko. He was stunning enough as it is in just plain clothes, but the revealing ones Kuroko was currently wearing…Well let's just say it accentuated his curves and enhanced his beauty a lot more than his baggy basketball clothes. Although Akashi regretted his choice of attire for his boyfriend, man did he love saying that, he thought he should make the most of it.

What would 'make the most of it' be, you may ask? Well of course it means showing Kuroko off. Reaching down to grab his hand, Akashi laced their fingers and shot a small smile in the other's direction when he gave him a confused look.

After Akashi grabbed his hand, Kuroko's blush was renewed. Holding hands in public? Akashi sure was bold, especially since Kuroko is a b-… Wait, he's dressed as a girl right now. That right there brought another thought to Kuroko's mind. If he's dressed as a girl, he doesn't have to worry about people judging them, right? That means he can enjoy his date with Akashi to the fullest, without any backlash for Akashi. Smiling to himself, Kuroko tightened his grip on Akashi's hand and put a slight pep in his step. The day just keeps getting better and better. Even if he's dressed as a girl... But he found himself forgetting this fact as he walked around and talked to Akashi.

…..

"Tetsuya, can you wait out here? I need to run to the restroom." Akashi asked as they stopped in front of the restrooms. Nodding his head yes, Kuroko sat down on a bench nearby. Seeing that there was a line in front of the restroom doors, it might take a while, so Kuroko began to people watch. This was something that became a habit after learning misdirection. He was good at observing people, and liked to guess what they may be thinking by their body language and facial expressions.

After doing this for a few minutes, Kuroko felt someone tap on his shoulder. Turning to see who it was, he found a brown-haired boy not that much older than himself staring at him. Maybe one or two years older? It's not like it mattered all that much though.

"May I help you?" Kuroko inquired as he turned his body in the boy's direction. "Oh yes, you certainly can, honey." The boy said in a "suave" manner. Quirking an eyebrow, Kuroko tilted his head slightly to one side. "Excuse me?" He questioned again, this time with a small, barely noticeable edge to his voice.

"You heard me. What's a fine lady such as yourself doing here all alone? Boyfriend ditch you? Don't worry, baby. I'll keep you company." The boy stated rather annoyingly as he slid an arm around Kuroko's shoulders. Who does this guy think he is? Coming on to him so forcefully, not even caring about how Kuroko feels. "Excuse me, but can you let me go? I am, in fact, waiting for my boyfriend." Kuroko snapped at the boy. He usually doesn't let people get to him, but this guy really had some nerve. "Aww, don't be like that baby. I'm probably much better than him. Why not take me for a spin?" The boy suggestively said as he leaned in closer.

Repulsed by his words and touch, Kuroko tried pulling away, failing in the process. This guy sure was strong. Helplessly struggling, Kuroko could do nothing as the guy grabbed his chin and began to move his face closer. No! This can't be happening. His first kiss wasn't supposed to be with some creep, it was supposed to be with Akashi! Kuroko shouted in his mind as his closed his eyes and turned his head away.

Feeling someone pull him away, he slowly opened his eyes and found the boy on the ground clutching his cheek. Turning his head, he saw a very angry Akashi Seijuurou. "Keep your dirty hands to yourself." Akashi stated lowly and dangerously. "Lower your head, you filth." He seethed through clenched teeth as he pushed the boy back down when he tried getting up. Even if Akashi was dressed in all pink and suspenders, he was still intimidating, and when he turned his death glare on the boy, he practically peed his pants.

Seeing that they were attracting a crowd, he grabbed Kuroko's hand, pulled him away from the bench, and began walking. Akashi was very, very mad, and everyone around them could tell, if the way they parted like the red sea was any indication. While Kuroko himself was angry, it paled in comparison to Akashi's rage. Well, who wouldn't be mad? Some creep had been hitting on his "girlfriend". A bit too strongly, if he may add.

"Uhm…Aka-" Kuroko began but was soon cut off when he was yanked into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry, Tetsuya. I'm sorry I ruined our date. I couldn't stop myself from punching that creep." Akashi whispered into his ear after a few quiet moments. "I just came out of the bathroom and saw him about to kiss you, and I…I just couldn't take it. Those lips belong to me. _All_ of you belongs to me, and no one, I mean _no one,_ can have you _but me_."

Listening to Akashi talk, Kuroko's heart filled with emotion. While some may not like someone claiming them like property, Kuroko actually liked it. He liked belonging to Akashi, he had always wished for just that. And while he was Akashi's, Akashi was also his. Slowly bringing his arms around his boyfriend's broad back, he buried his face in his neck.

"It's okay, Akashi-kun. You didn't ruin anything. Thank you for saving me, I really didn't want him to kiss me." Kuroko returned the whisper as they both held each other. What he said was true, Akashi didn't ruin their date. In fact, it made Kuroko happy. Not happy that he punched someone, but happy that Akashi had protected him.

"No need for thanks, Tetsuya. I acted before I thought, which is rare for me. But you just make me unable to function properly. I can't help myself when I'm with you. Especially in those clothes, I'm really starting to regret picking them out…" The last sentence was mumbled under his breath, almost like an afterthought. Kuroko heard it though, and began to laugh a bit.

"Well, you'll just have to endure. You're the one that wanted me to wear these clothes Akashi-kun. We made a deal, and I can't just go back on that, now can I?" Kuroko said with a playful tone in his voice, obviously teasing. "Oh Tetsuya. What am I going to do with you?" Akashi said as a small smile once again found its way onto his face. "Come on, let's continue our date. That is, if you still want to?" Akashi said, pulling out of the embrace just slightly.

"Of course I do, Akashi-kun." Kuroko said with a smile.

…..

Putting the unpleasant incident passed them, Kuroko and Akashi continued with their date. Their next destination was a sports store. Walking in, they headed straight for the shoe department. When they were talking earlier, they discovered that they both needed new basketball shoes, so why not look together? Once they arrived, they both began their search.

A few minutes passed, and Akashi had found a pair he liked. They were the same brand as his last pair, but the colors were different. His old ones had been black and red, but the ones in his hands were white and blue. A certain bluenette may or may not have influenced his choice. Grabbing a pair in his size, he picked his head up to look for his boyfriend. Spotting Kuroko an aisle over, he walked towards him.

"Found anything yet, Tetsuya?" Akashi must have startled the boy, as he jumped a bit when he spoke. "Oh, Akashi-kun. Yes, I have." Kuroko said as he held up a pair of red and white sneakers. Again, a certain red-head may or may not have had an influence on his decision. "Perfect." Akashi said as he grabbed a box in Kuroko's size, how he knows his size remains a mystery, and went over to the counter, purchasing both pairs.

"Wait! Akashi-kun, I can pay for myself!" Kuroko protested as he trailed behind Akashi. He was too late though, as the shoes had already been paid for. "You didn't have to do that you know." He said with a little pout. "I wanted to though. Anything for my beautiful _girlfriend_." Akashi said with a smirk as he poked Kuroko's nose. This comment just made his pout more pronounced, but instead of arguing more, he just mumbled a small "thank you". "Come on, let's look around the store for a bit." Akashi suggested, lacing their fingers together once more.

The couple walked around the store, looking at the items. They looked at the clothes, and also went through the sections of the different sports. When they reached the basketball aisle, they put down their bags and began passing a basketball. While they were having fun acting like children, they heard a familiar gruff voice. Eyes widening, they panicked a little as they saw a dark-haired male pass their aisle.

What was Aomine doing here?! Maybe he wouldn't come down this aisle? Oh, who are they kidding? Aomine was a basketball freak, of course he was looking for this aisle! Both boys panicked even further when they heard Aomine's voice again. And it was heading back in their direction!

Not having many options, Kuroko did the first thing that came to mind. He took the ball from Akashi's hands and passed it right into Aomine's face as soon as he turned to make his way down that aisle. Understanding Kuroko's intentions, Akashi picked up their bags, grabbed Kuroko's hand, and ran out the other end of the aisle.

"WHAT THE HELL!" They heard behind them as they ran. Silently apologizing to the taller bluenette, the couple ran out of the store. It was almost time for their movie anyway.


	11. Chapter 11

The crowd shuffled out of the movie theater as the credits rolled on the screen. Two people stayed in their seats, in no rush to leave. "That was an interesting movie, thank you for taking me Akashi-kun." Kuroko's voice filled the silence after the screen went black. After the close encounter with Aomine, the couple chose to hang out in the movie theater lobby until their movie started. Thankfully, there were no further incidents.

"You're welcome Tetsuya. It was my pleasure." Akashi smirked, teasing evident in his voice. He had been flirting with Kuroko for the entirety of the movie, holding hands and whispering in his ear. Kuroko doubted he even knew what the film was about, as every time he looked next to him, he would lock eyes with Akashi. Though he never would admit it, he enjoyed the attention Akashi gave him.

Finally rising from their seats, Akashi gathered their bags in one hand and took Kuroko's with his other. "Shall we, princess?" cooed the red-head as he led his boyfriend back into the mall. Blushing a little, Kuroko chose not to comment as it would only lead to more teasing. It was getting rather late, so Akashi insisted on walking Kuroko home, though it's not like the bluenette was complaining.

The walk home was rather quiet, as the two found the silence comforting. They didn't need any unnecessary words. After a good fifteen minutes, the couple finally reached Kuroko's house. "Again, thank you Akashi-kun. I really had a great time, even if I was dressed as a girl for most of it." Kuroko shyly said as he motioned to his current attire.

Grinning, Akashi reached out to touch the bluenette's cheek. "Don't mention it, Tetsuya. I also had a great time. This is actually the most fun I've had in a while…" Akashi replied while gently brushing his fingers over the other's lips. Kuroko shivered at the touch, and shifted his eyes to look directly into the red-head's. Without saying a word, Akashi slowly closed his eyes and leaned in, softly pressing his lips upon Kuroko's.

The kiss was fleeting and lasted no longer than a few seconds, but was pleasurable for both nonetheless. It was special, and marked the end of their first date. "Good night, Love. I'll talk to you soon." Akashi said with a gentle smile after pulling away from Kuroko. The latter standing there, touching his lips, watching the red-head's back until he disappeared into the night.

Snapping out of his reverie, Kuroko buried his face into his hands as a blush erupted on his cheeks. Did he just have his first kiss?! Internally squealing, (he was dressed as a girl, he had the right to, okay?) he turned to run into his house. He couldn't stand on the porch looking dumb all night, could he? However, as soon as he had taken off his shoes and was about to run upstairs to get his phone, he ran into a wall. Not a literal wall, but a fleshy one. Wait, a fleshy wall?

Confused, Kuroko looked up from his spot on the floor, only to be utterly shocked. Well this situation certainly put a damper on his mood, especially with the way he was dressed.

"Tetsuya, care to explain?" came a deep, guttural voice from above him.

"Father…Mother…"

…..

After Akashi dropped Kuroko off at home, he walked back to his hotel in a state of bliss. He could've called for his driver, but he wanted to be alone to bask in his happiness just a bit longer, before reality came back. On his way, he passed a street basketball court and saw a familiar face.

"Good evening, Daiki." Akashi said from behind the dark bluenette, effectively scaring the poor boy. "Gaahh! Oi! Akashi, what the heck!" Aomine replied in anger, turning to face the red-head. "You nearly scared me to death! What, have you been hanging out with Tetsu too much?" He jokingly said, although Akashi was internally sweating as what he said was actually the truth.

Noticing the tall boy's mood, Akashi decided to ask what the problem was. Why did he suddenly decide to be caring? Well, his best guess is that he was still on a high from being with Kuroko.

"Is there a problem, Daiki? You seem to be in a worse mood than usual."

"A problem? Yeah, there's a problem! Some jerks at the mall hit me in the face with a basketball? Can you believe that? Had I gotten a look at their faces I'd have socked 'em one!" He said in anger.

Akashi schooled his expression as he once again apologized to Aomine in his mind. He wasn't really sincere though, he was Akashi Seijuurou after all. Besides, he liked how devious _his_ Tetsuya could be at times.

"That…certainly is a problem. Although, maybe it's your reflexes that were the problem?" Akashi taunted, hoping to get away from the subject. Although he had no difficulties lying, and nothing would ever show on his face, he'd rather not be victim of Aomine's occasional bouts of insight.

"Excuse me?! My reflexes are no problem! Listen here you-" Aomine began, but was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing. After a short discussion with whoever was on the other line, Aomine left Akashi at the courts, all the while cursing the "red-headed demon".

…..

After changing his clothes to more…appropriate attire, Kuroko sat in the living room with his parents. Why were they even home? They hadn't been home in over a year, so why now? What's more, they even caught him cross-dressing! He was going to have a hard time explaining that, and it's not like his parents were "understanding" people to begin with. In fact, he'd say that his parents were two of the most skeptical people he knows.

"…Welcome home, Mother, Father. What brings you here?" Kuroko decided to take the safe route. He knew he would have to get to the cross-dressing subject eventually, but hopefully not before he thinks of some excuse.

"Explain, Tetsuya." Was the only response he received. Well…looks like he's not getting any time to think.

"It isn't anything big. I made a bet with my friends, and I lost. They made me dress as a girl for my punishment, and I couldn't just go back on my word." He was surprised that he could smoothly patch together a lie so quickly. His emotionless face helped to sell it, of course.

Kuroko stared at his father with blank eyes as the man scrutinized him. He glanced at his mother and found her doing the same. A few tense moments and internal eye-rolls on Kuroko's part, his parents decided to drop the topic. He was a little irked when his father waved his hand dismissively and told him to leave, but it's not like he had to be told twice. He was never really close to his parents, neither did he feel a familial connection to them. The closest they got to being a family was Kuroko calling them "mother" and "father".

Standing up from the couch, Kuroko bid his "parents" a good night, and went up to his room. His mood from earlier was almost completely extinguished, and he really needed to destress now. Picking up his phone, he found that he had a few unread messages. The messages, however, were immediately forgotten when his phone started ringing, Akashi's name appearing on the screen.

Kuroko's face instantly brightened up, but before he answered, he had to make sure his parents didn't hear him. To avoid that situation occurring, he went into his bathroom, locked the door, and turned on the shower. After making his preparations, Kuroko finally answered his phone.

"Akashi-kun…" He said as a smile spread across his face.

"Hello, princess." Akashi replied, making a blush accompany Kuroko's smile. He would take it to the grave, but Kuroko secretly liked Akashi calling him by different pet names. Love, and surprisingly, princess, being two of his favorites. "I just wanted your voice to be the last thing I heard tonight." Akashi confessed, making Kuroko's blush deepen. His boyfriend must be a romantic at heart, spouting all these embarrassing lines like it's nothing.

"What a coincidence. I was just thinking that I wanted to hear Akashi-kun's voice as well."

"A coincidence indeed…Well, I must go now Tetsuya. I have to get up early tomorrow morning to head back to Kyoto." Akashi replied, sounding like a forlorn puppy. How cute! "Okay, Akashi-kun. I understand. Good night and…I love you…" Kuroko responded, blushing at his own words. He was usually so expressionless, but Akashi just made all his emotions show on his face. Whether they were talking in person or not.

"I love you too, princess."

Kuroko held his breath for what seemed like minutes after Akashi hung up and he heard the dial tone. He couldn't bring himself to shut off his phone, especially after hearing Akashi once again say he loves him. Just like that, his mood from earlier returned and he was back on cloud nine.

Turning off the shower, Kuroko closed his eyes and leaned against the bathroom wall. Even with all the stress his parents had given him just by coming home, Akashi had managed to blow all of that away, and Kuroko couldn't be happier that the red-head was his boyfriend. He just made everything so much better.

"Good night, Akashi-kun…" He whispered into the silence.


	12. Chapter 12

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

Rolling over with a groan, Kuroko put a pillow over his head.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

Grumbling, he slapped around on his bedside table looking for his alarm clock.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beeeeep!

"Argh!" Throwing the pillow across the room, Kuroko sat up in a fit of anger. Where was his alarm clock?! Oh wait… He broke that last time, didn't he? Then where was the damned beeping coming from?

Sleepily rubbing his eyes, Kuroko scanned his room for the source of the noise. Spotting his phone on his dresser, he threw his blanket to the side and got up to retrieve the device. Looking at the screen, he saw his mother's name. So it hadn't been an alarm, but a call. But why was his mother calling him? It was very unusual.

Curious, Kuroko answered the phone.

"Hello…" He said with a little hesitance. While it was uncomfortable talking to the woman in person, it was even more so on the phone. He couldn't gauge her reaction or read her expression if he couldn't see her, but Kuroko guessed it was the same for his mother too.

"Goodness, Child. I don't have all day! Answer the phone sooner next time. Anyway, your father and I have some… _clients_ coming over so you need to be out of the house. I don't care where you go or what you do, just get out."

After spitting out those words, the line went dead. _'Good morning to you too…'_ Kuroko said to himself in complete sarcasm. Where the hell was he supposed to go? This is the reason he hated when his parents came home, but he knew exactly what kind of " _clients"_ they would be seeing, so he had to leave. Kuroko supposed that he should at least be grateful that he _wasn't_ asked to stay. There was school today so at least he had somewhere to be during the day. The problem would be where he would go at night.

Knowing his parents, they would most likely have " _clients"_ all week, not just for today. Kuroko could only hope they would leave again after they were done. Sighing, he looked at the clock on his phone. There was still an hour before he had to get ready for school, but he might as well start now.

…..

"Oi Kuroko!" Kuroko heard Kagami's loud voice as he was putting his bag into his locker. First and second periods were cancelled today, so the basketball team was going to have morning practice, and he figured he might as well put his bag in his locker instead of lugging it around all day.

"Please lower your voice, Kagami-kun. It is still so early in the morning." Kuroko grumbled as he carefully closed his locker door. He felt a major headache coming on, and he didn't need all the loud noises.

"Why do you have that big bag?" Kagami questioned. _'Geez, why does he choose now to be concerned about what I'm doing?'_ Kuroko thought as he sighed. "No reason. We better get to practice or we'll be late." He spoke in a curt manner, walking over to the locker room doors. He didn't feel like answering questions right now, even if he was being a bit rude.

"Oi! Kuroko, wait up!" He faintly heard his friend yell as he shut the doors behind him. This was going to be a _long_ day.

…..

Practice was exhausting, but at least it allowed Kuroko to take his mind off finding a place to stay. However, when practiced finished and they all headed for class, he found himself unable to focus. The good thing about being practically invisible though, is that Kuroko doesn't get in trouble for not paying attention. The same cannot be said for Kagami, as he just got scolded by the teacher for dozing off. On the bright side, he isn't bothering Kuroko about the bag anymore.

Turning his head to look out the window, Kuroko went over the options in his mind. He could ask Kagami if he could stay at his place, but he doesn't want to answer any prying questions. That being said, that also eliminated his other teammates. Kuroko loved his team, he did, but they were _extremely_ nosy, and he didn't need that. Maybe he could call up Kise? But he would pry too, plus he would most likely be glued to his side the whole time.

He couldn't ask Akashi, as he lived in Kyoto and besides, he didn't want to trouble him. Distance-wise, Murasakibara was also out. Kuroko didn't really get along with Midorima, and Momoi was a girl… _'Aomine it is, then…'_ He internally sighed. He wished his parents would at least give him money for a hotel, Kuroko really didn't like to bother people. Well, he still had afternoon practice before he was able to call anyone anyway, so he might as well put all those thoughts out of his mind.

Groaning, he let his head flop against the desk.

"Why did they come home…?" He mumbled to himself before promptly falling asleep.

…..

"…roko!"

"Oi!"

"Kuroko!"

Shooting up, Kuroko nearly smacked into Kagami's jaw. Luckily, Bakagami had good reflexes, if nothing else.

"Oh, Kagami-kun…"

Drowsily rubbing his eyes, it took the bluenette a few minutes to remember where he was. That's right…He was at school, wasn't he? What time is it now?

"Come on! We're gonna be late for practice, and I sure as hell don't wanna run any extra laps!"

What?! Already time for afternoon practice? That means he slept through lunch and the rest of his classes. Hastily looking around, Kuroko confirmed that all his fellow classmates were gone, and a quick peek out the window showed that there weren't many students on campus, aside from those with club activities of course.

Standing up on unsteady legs, Kuroko grabbed his bag and hustled out the door after Kagami. He certainly didn't want to run any more laps, he was already feeling dizzy enough as it is. With that in mind, he hastened his pace a bit more.

After practice, he would call Aomine and ask if he could crash at his place for a bit. If not, then, well…he was screwed…

…..

It's official. The world hates him.

At least, that's how it seems. It could also be that he has the crappiest luck, but either way, this situation is just too cruel…

Not only have his good-for-nothing ⸺ at least in his opinion ⸺ parents come home and told him to get out of his house, but now his only option for refuge is away on a basketball retreat. Oh, and guess what? It's raining too. Yup. Wonderful.

After practice ended, Kuroko quickly took his shower and left the school. He didn't want to be caught by any of his teammates, and he needed to call Aomine before he was off to who-knows-where and not answering his phone.

He thought he had been lucky that the taller bluenette had answered his call. But no. That was the only little victory he could have, apparently. When he asked Aomine if he could stay with him for a while, the basketball-junkie had grumpily told him that he was off at a basketball camp with his team. After delivering that gut-shot, he promptly began complaining about how _'He had to get up early'_ , and _'There were no girls here'_ , oh and also _'The inn where they were staying was a dump'_.

Kuroko hung up after hearing the inn part.

Now he was just wandering around the streets, soaked to the bone after the sky decided it would be fun to overturn some buckets. This must be what people mean when they say; "When it rains, it pours."

He couldn't even go back to the school gym because the teachers were having their semi-annual, teachers-only volleyball tournament. The bluenette had considered going into a café, but he didn't have any money.

Out of options, Kuroko decided to go to the park. At least he could sleep on a bench or something.

"Achoo!"

 _'Oh great, I'll probably catch a cold. Perfect, just perfect."_ Shivering, the bluenette headed off in the direction of the park. If he was lucky, maybe he would find a broken umbrella in a trash can.

…..

Upon entering the park, Mother Nature apparently decided to give Kuroko a break. The sky began clearing up, but he was still soaked either way. Unfortunately for the bluenette, the park benches were already occupied. This park was one of the only ones to have overhangs over their benches after all.

Sighing, Kuroko made his way over to the lake. The bluenette held fond memories for this spot, as not too long ago Akashi was confessing to him here.

Surveying the area, he spotted a large oak tree close to the water. On closer inspection, the roots of the tree reached above the ground, almost forming a chair. Well, it's better than nothing.

Setting his bag off to the side, Kuroko made himself as comfortable as possible, before leaning his head back against the tree. After sitting down, his dizziness from earlier returned in full force. Not only that, but Kuroko was also starting to feel hot. He would have to find a place to stay soon, or else he might really end up getting sick.

As he once again went over his options in his mind, he felt a vibration on his butt. Okay…Either that was his phone, or the ground was shaking. Reaching a hand back to seize the device, Kuroko saw Akashi's name on the screen. His face lit up instantly, and his thumb couldn't have hit 'answer' any quicker.

"Hey, Princess…"

Blushing lightly, a grin nearly split the bluenette's face open, and he was pretty sure Akashi could _hear_ his smile.

"Hey yourself."

"How have you been? How was school?"

"I've been fine, and school is as boring as ever. We didn't have morning classes today, so there was basketball practice instead. I'm exhausted."

"I see you still don't have much stamina…"

"Hey! I resent that." Kuroko replied with no hesitation, causing Akashi to let out a deep chuckle. It was a beautiful noise, really. And hearing it caused Kuroko's heart to flutter. He loved being the one to know this side of Akashi. Being the one to make him laugh.

"Hey A…kashi-kun…?" The bluenette managed, breath beginning to come in short pants.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"I…"

No matter how hard Kuroko tried to keep his eyes open, his eyelids were just too heavy. His grip on the phone was weakening, and his head began to droop to the side.

"Tetsuya, what's wrong?"

"I'm….f-fi…ne…"

After managing those last few words, the phone slowly slid out of his lifeless hand.

"Tetsuya! Hey! Tetsuya, are you there?!"

Well, looks like he caught more than just a cold. Just his crappy luck. What he was really sad about, though, was that he couldn't talk with Akashi more…

"Tetsuya!"

His phone must have caught a bit of his bad luck, because at that moment, that exact moment, the battery died and the line went dead…


	13. Chapter 13

The world is coming to an end. Pigs must be flying, and Hell most likely finally froze over.

Why?

Because _the_ Akashi Seijuurou is freaking out.

He was talking to his boyfriend, who then started slurring words and taking long pauses, and then ⸺ _bam!_ ⸺ the line goes dead. In any other similar situation involving someone else, Akashi would be calm and composed and go over the possibilities in his mind, but this is _Kuroko._ Anything that concerns the bluenette causes Akashi's heart to beat rapidly.

While he wanted to believe that he was okay, that his boyfriend was just tired, the red-head just couldn't shake the feeling that something was _wrong._ He had never been so angry that he lived in Kyoto before. Akashi had tried calling the bluenette back several times, hoping that the call just disconnected, but no dice.

Not being able to take it anymore, Akashi jumped up, grabbed his phone, wallet, and coat, and sprinted out the door. He had to find Kuroko, and even if it only ended up being a false alarm, he would not take that chance. Better safe than sorry after all. The red-head absolutely _refused_ to sit there on his ass twiddling his thumbs.

…..

Akashi never liked riding the train. There were too many people packed into one vehicle, it couldn't possibly be 100% safe. At least the bullet train was less crowded and had more seating…

Wait a minute! Now was not the time to be judging public transportation. He needed to head over to Kuroko's house, although the red-head had a fleeting suspicion that the bluenette wasn't home.

Only possessing his coat and wallet, Akashi sprinted off the train as soon as the doors opened. He collided with several people, but didn't care enough to stop and apologize. He didn't even care how his disheveled appearance and running through the station looked to others. Akashi had a mission, and nothing would stop him.

Luckily, his father was out of the country so he wouldn't know the red-head had run out of the house without a reason.

Akashi flew down the streets, dodging people left and right, and didn't stop until he reached Kuroko's house. Even though he had run all the way from the station, the red-head wasn't breathless. He didn't have time to be a panting mess.

Straightening up, he lifted one unsteady hand and rapped it against the door. He waited several moments, but heard no movement on the other side. Lifting his hand once more, Akashi knocked with a little more pressure this time. He was rewarded, as a minute later a disgruntled woman opened the door.

"What do you want?" She snapped, lacking any grace in Akashi's opinion.

Cocking his head slightly to the side, he took in the woman's appearance. Her hair was frizzy and ruffled, shooting off in all directions. Shifting his eyes down, Akashi found that her clothes weren't in much better shape. The woman must have been wearing a man's shirt, as it was a bit oversized for her. Not only that, but it was buttoned incorrectly, indicating the woman's haste. The red-head had to direct his eyes upwards once more, as he didn't believe the woman was wearing any pants. He already didn't like this woman.

 _'_ _How classy…'_ Akashi thought with an internal eye roll. His outward expression remained otherwise unchanged.

"Hello, I am a friend of Kuroko Tetsuya's. I was wondering if he was home?" The red-head asked with absolute politeness. He may not have liked her, but he was raised with manners ingrained into him.

"Ah, him. He won't be home tonight. His father and I had business, so that child left. I don't know where he went."

After explaining why Kuroko wasn't home with disinterest like the situation had nothing to do with her, a man appeared from behind the door and buried his face in her neck, biting softly.

"C'mon baby, we're waiting for you. The funs about to start…"

Akashi was absolutely disgusted by the display, but before he could say as much, the door was promptly slammed in his face.

If that crass woman was Kuroko's mother, Akashi's heart went out to him. The red-head also suspected that the man had not been his father, but he didn't have time to analyze the situation. He needed to locate Kuroko, and standing on his front porch wouldn't help in doing so.

Turning on his heel, Akashi stalked away with a scowl on his face. If Kuroko wasn't home, then where was he? Tokyo wasn't exactly a small place, and if something really had happened to the bluenette, then time was of the essence. Fishing his phone out of his pocket, Akashi surfed through his contacts, pressing "call" once he found who he was looking for.

Picking up on the third ring, a loud, overexcited voice pierced his eardrums.

"Akashicchi! What's up? You never call me!"

 _'_ _And you wonder why?'_

Sighing, he rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger, getting right to the point. "Have you seen or heard from Tetsuya lately?"

"Kurokocchi? Nope! Why? Is something wrong? Is Kurokocchi okay? Is he gone? Is he missing? Is he _dead?!"_ The last part was almost intelligible as Kise was sobbing too hard. This time, Akashi physically rolled his eyes. Kise always had to be overdramatic, and to be honest, it annoyed the red-head to no end.

"No, Tetsuya is fine. I just couldn't contact his phone. Goodbye."

Ending the call, Akashi hoped he hadn't been telling a lie. Kuroko had to be okay, otherwise Akashi wouldn't be okay. Without him knowing it, Kuroko had become his rock ⸺ his support ⸺ and he didn't know what would happen if he was suddenly gone.

 _'_ _Enough, Seijuurou! Stop acting so weak!'_ Mentally slapping himself, Akashi began walking again.

Well, if he didn't go to Kise's, maybe he went to one of his teammates' houses? The red-head knew Aomine was at a basketball camp, so the phantom wouldn't be with his former light. Searching through his contacts once more, Akashi supposed Kuroko's new light would be as good a place to start as any…

…..

After ending his call with Kagami, Akashi began freaking out again. Apparently Kuroko had been acting strange all day, and even had a large duffle bag with him. Well, since the red-head knew he was basically kicked out of his house, that wasn't much of a surprise. Akashi also knew that the bluenette wouldn't have the money to stay at a hotel, so he was either at some café or outside ⸺ which certainly wouldn't be good. Especially with how smoky the sky looked. It had already rained today, but nothing was stopping it from happening again. It was still winter too, so even if it didn't rain, someone could easily catch a cold.

Akashi wasn't really sure what places Kuroko frequented, beside a fast-food restaurant and basketball courts.

If he didn't find the bluenette at either of those places, maybe he should try the park where they met for their date the other day?

…..

Reaching the park, Akashi stood near the fronts gates, panting. He had no luck at the courts or fast-food joint, so this was his last resort.

It was getting late, the sun already sinking behind the trees. There weren't many people in the park, and Kuroko was practically invisible, so he couldn't even ask if anyone had seen him.

 _'_ _Where would I go if I was Tetsuya?'_

Somewhere quiet, probably. The phantom never really liked attention, and like Akashi, enjoyed the calmness silence brought. The park was rather big, and had many different places that could be defined as "quiet". He'd better start searching then…

Ten minutes of looking, and still no sign.

"Argh!"

"Dammit, where are you Tetsuya?!"

Jerking his body to the right, Akashi grabbed his hair in frustration as he stared out over the glistening lake. He had confessed to Tetsuya here not too long ago, since the sun or moon reflecting off the water gave off a serene feeling. It was a good place to rela-….

 _'_ _That's it!'_

Shooting off towards the bank, the red-head quickly surveyed the area. Seeing a large tree not too far to his left, he determined it was a good place to start. Once again running, Akashi rounded the tree, only for his foot to snag on something making him lose his balance. Luckily, he caught himself before he face-planted into the dirt.

Turning his head back to find what made _him ⸺ Akashi Seijuurou ⸺_ fall, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Holy shit, Tetsuya!"

The boy was slumped against the tree trunk, looking every bit as lifeless as Akashi felt. Not only that, but the bluenette was absolutely drenched. Rushing over to his boyfriend, Akashi gently shook the boy's shoulder. Receiving no response, he shook a bit harder.

"Tetsuya. Hey, Tetsuya. Can you hear me?"

Kneeling beside Kuroko, the red-head noticed how flushed the bluenette's face was as well as his shallow breathing. Placing a hand to his forehead, Akashi swiftly withdrew it.

"Holy shit, Tetsuya. Why didn't you tell me earlier? You're freaking burning up!"

Digging into his pocket, Akashi fished out his cell phone. He needed to call his driver to come get them. After he brought Kuroko to the hospital, he was taking him home. There was no way Akashi would let the bluenette sleep outside in a park, and he didn't want him staying alone at a hotel when he was sick.

Placing a fleeting kiss on Kuroko's burning forehead, the red-head slung the bluenette's bag over his shoulder and then gently scooped him up into his arms. Clutching the boy to his chest, Akashi slowly began walking to the front gates of the park. Pity the poor fool who happened to cross his path at this time…

"Come on, Princess. We're going home…"

…..

Hearing buzzing somewhere to his right, Kuroko lolled his head to the side. Focusing his attention on the buzzing, he could barely recognize it as voices.

"…drenched….burning…."

"High fev….rest….fluids…"

"….leave?….car ride…."

"Yes…."

The bluenette could only make out bits and pieces before he once again lost consciousness.

…..

Feeling the sensation that he was floating, Kuroko's eyes fluttered open ever-so-slightly. Seeing a burst of scarlet, he felt his lips curve into a smile. Burrowing himself into the warmth he felt next to him, his eyes once again fell shut hearing from a steady thudding sound beside his ear.. The steady rhythm was very soothing, making Kuroko feel safe and comforted.

 _'_ _Just like when I'm with Akashi-kun…'_

 _'_ _I'm so happy that I could dream about Akashi-kun. If this is a dream, then I don't have to be embarrassed about calling his name, right? I've always wanted to say it...'_

Gathering up the courage, the bluenette said the first thing that came to mind. "Love you…Sei-kun…"

After saying that, Kuroko didn't miss how the thudding sound grew quicker, but didn't have much time to analyze it before he was once again whisked off into the world of dreams.


	14. Chapter 14

Groggily opening his eyes, Kuroko stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling. Now that he thought of it, was his bed ever this comfortable? Rolling onto his side, Kuroko pulled up the sheets and closed his eyes again. Ehh, whatever. At least he wasn't outside anymore.

"…"

Wait a minute! Why wasn't he outside anymore? Actually…where the hell was he?!

Springing up, Kuroko felt something gripping his left hand. Jerking his head to look, he was pleasantly surprised but also rather confused.

Akashi was leaning on the bed holding his hand, in a deep sleep. The view was nice and Akashi looked absolutely adorable, but what the heck was he doing here? In fact, what was Kuroko doing here? What was going on?!

Due to the bluenette moving around, Akashi began to stir. Noticing, Kuroko looked towards the red-head, waiting to see if he'd wake up. He had a _lot_ of questions, and he figured Akashi would know what was happening.

"Mmmm…"

Seeing that the red-head opened his eyes, Kuroko started to ask a question but was soon cut off. "Akashi-kun, what's-"

At the sound of the bluenette's voice, Akashi's head snapped up; his expression one of utter relief.

A smile graced Akashi's beautiful features as he jumped up to hug Kuroko. "Oh, thank God! Tetsuya!"

"You have no idea how much you've worried me!" The red-head whispered in an emotional voice as he buried his face in the junction of the bluenette's neck.

Even if Kuroko was beyond confused at this point in time, it didn't stop him from returning Akashi's embrace and apologizing. "I'm sorry…"

"No, wait…Akashi-kun, what's going on?" he questioned when the red-head finally released him.

"Tetsuya…you were unconscious for three days. You started sounding weird when we were talking the other day, but the call got cut off. I had this nasty feeling that something happened to you, and I just had to find you. Before you ask, you're in my house in Kyoto and you had a severely high fever when I found you in the park…" pausing, Akashi turned an unreadable expression towards the bluenette. "Princess, why didn't you just _tell me_ that you didn't have a place to stay? My heart nearly stopped when you wouldn't respond."

Observing Akashi's hurt expression, Kuroko felt like someone was ripping out his heart. He hadn't meant to worry the red-head. Actually, that was the _last_ thing he had wanted to do. He didn't tell Akashi about his situation because he knew for a fact that he would worry.

Feeling the weight of his current situation mixed with guilt, tears welled up in the bluenette's eyes, threatening to overflow. He thought he had done the right thing, but now he wasn't so sure.

"Hic…hic…"

When Akashi saw the tears in Kuroko's eyes, he nearly panicked. "Oh…no, Love. Don't cry. Please don't cry…"

Placing himself on the bed, the red-head cupped the phantom's cheeks and began wiping away the fallen tears. The gentle look on Akashi's face only made Kuroko sob harder, and all the taller boy could do was wrap him securely in his arms. His Tetsuya never showed this much emotion, so a lot must be going on to make him cry. It broke Akashi's heart, but he would be there to support him no matter what.

After a while, the bluenette's tears began running dry, and only a few sniffles were left. Removing himself from his boyfriend's now tear-stained chest, he stared into those beautiful eyes that had always captivated him.

Feeling ashamed, he looked at his hands in his lap. "I'm sorry, Akashi-kun…"

Lifting Kuroko's chin, Akashi placed a chaste kiss to his lips. "Nonsense, Princess. There is nothing to feel sorry for…"

Kuroko once again gazed into those heterochromatic eyes, but made no move to speak. In that moment, they didn't need words; they were fine with only each other's company. The bluenette may not have said it, but he was secretly happy that Akashi worried enough to actually come _search for_ him; all the way from Kyoto, no less. The love the red-head felt for him was so strong and absolute, just like Akashi himself, and it deeply moved Kuroko.

Noticing Akashi was gradually leaning closer, the bluenette allowed his eyes to gently fall shut. Just as the red-head was about to claim his lover's lips, Kuroko's stomach let out the loudest growl either boy had ever heard, ruining the moment.

Completely mortified, Kuroko fell back onto the bed, burying his face in both hands. "Oh my God…."

Observing Kuroko's reaction, Akashi let out a loud laugh. "I'm sorry. You haven't eaten in a few days. I'll go get you something to eat."

Akashi was still grinning as he left the room, and it made Kuroko's heart flutter. He always loved hearing Akashi laugh since he didn't do it often. Kuroko loved that the red-head was able to enjoy himself when he was with him and besides, his laughter was music to the bluenette's ears. Listening to it just made him feel so light and content.

Bringing his hands away from his face, Kuroko stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Three days, huh…" he mumbled into the empty air.

 _'_ _Guess that means I missed school too…Kagami-kun and the senpai must be worried…'_

Sitting up once more, Kuroko glanced around the room in search of his bag. He'd probably need to explain everything in person when he got back, but for now a simple text would have to do. Throwing the covers to the side, the bluenette swung his legs out of the bed. Now that he's getting a better look, this room was huge!

The bed was placed in the middle, and Kuroko was pretty sure it was king-sized. There were end tables on either side with a flat screen TV mounted on the wall opposite the bed. Under the TV was a very large oak bureau with a mini-fridge to the side. He could count four different doors, three of which he could pretty much guess. One obviously led out of the room, another to the bathroom, and maybe a closet. The last one he didn't even want to know. Knowing Akashi, it could be his own private office or something.

Tentatively placing his feet on the hard-wood floor, Kuroko tried to stand only to fall to the ground feeling dizzy. Hunching over, he closed his eyes and put a hand to his forehead. _'I guess I'm not completely better, then…'_

Sighing, Kuroko waited a few minutes to regain his bearings. Once he did, he opened his eyes and spotted his bag on the couch. _'Oh, there it is…'_

Wait…COUCH?! In the bedroom? Oh geez…Well, Akashi _was_ rich after all.

Ridding himself of all preconceived notions of how he _thought_ a bedroom should look, Kuroko began crawling towards the couch. He felt that if he stood up, he'd get dizzy again, and that would either lead to him throwing up or passing out; neither being a viable option. The bluenette felt like an overgrown baby as he was crawling across the room, and he would die of embarrassment if anyone caught him in the act. _'Good thing Akashi-kun is getting my food right now…'_

"Tetsuya…What are you doing out of bed?"

Halting mid-crawl, Kuroko's face burst out in flames. He couldn't bring himself to face Akashi as he answered, so he just stayed the way he was facing and sat on his legs.

"Uhhmm…I was…stretching?" he squeaked as he heard the red-head snort. _'Curse Akashi-kun and his impeccable timing!'_

Placing the tray of food on the bedside table, Akashi walked over to Kuroko, scooping him up into his arms. "You shouldn't be out of bed, you're still recovering." He sighed as the bluenette struggled, arguing that he could walk by himself. In the end, he merely pouted as the red-head settled him back on his bed.

"Well if I can't get up, would you mind getting my phone for me? I need to tell Kagami-kun and my team that I'm fine." Kuroko requested while Akashi was basically making him a thrown of pillows. Not that he was complaining, though. He quite liked having the prideful Akashi pampering him like this but since he had his own pride, he wouldn't tell.

"No need. Seirin has already been contacted and given an excuse. As for your parents, I didn't even bother informing them. Oh, and you have to go back to the hospital later today for a check-up." Akashi informed as he helped Kuroko lean against the pillows before climbing into the bed next to him.

Breathing a sigh of relief, the bluenette thanked every god he knew for giving him such a wonderful boyfriend. "Oh, okay. Thank you, then…Wait…You met my parents?!" A wave of horror and nausea plowed into Kuroko, making his temperature rise slightly. No…no, no, no. Akashi meeting his parents was the last thing he wanted! He just hoped nothing too bad happened, but by the sound of it, the red-head already didn't like them.

"Yes, though it was actually only your mother…Tetsuya, love…What is going on? What was happening in that house that you were kicked out? Why didn't you call me? You know I would've come immediately." The red-head murmured in a soft voice. Kuroko knew he was only worried, but there was no way he could tell Akashi everything. It broke his heart, but he just wasn't ready yet.

Fisting his cerulean hair, Kuroko folded his knees into his chest and sighed. "I know you would've! That's the exact reason I didn't call you, Akashi-kun. You have so many responsibilities, and I can't bear to make myself another one. It's fine, I can take care of myself," Pausing to take a deep breath, he continued. "and as for my parents…I'm sorry, Akashi-kun, I r-really am…but I just can't tell you. I…I…can handle it, d-don't worry…" Trailing off at the end, the bluenette smothered his face into the crooks of his elbows as he rested them on his bent knees. Oh man, he felt like crying again, but he really needed to stop acting so weak ⸺ _especially_ in front of Akashi.

Suddenly, Kuroko felt the weight of everything begin to suffocate him. So many things were happening at once, and he couldn't keep up with it all. The pressure was closing his throat and coiling around his chest like a python. His breaths started coming in shallow pants and he could feel himself sweat. Still being sick on top of everything else certainly wasn't helping. It was getting unbearably hot, and Kuroko had to fitfully kick off the blankets; though the action didn't provide much relief.

Seeing the bluenette's weird behavior, Akashi was almost 100% positive that Kuroko was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. Attempting to call his name, the red-head's voice fell on deaf ears as the bluenette's pupils began to dilate. Akashi couldn't just leave Kuroko in this state, so he would have to try a little harder to bring him back to reality.

"Tetsuya!"

"…"

"Tetsuya!"

"…"

"TETSUYA!" He shouted as he slightly shook the boy's shoulder.

Gasping, Kuroko felt like he resurfaced from the water. He felt himself shaking and could hear his pants and could see Akashi's concerned expression. Akashi settled himself behind Kuroko and carefully wrapped his arms around the bluenette's waist; crooning soothing words into his ear.

"Shhh…It's alright Tetsuya. Everything is fine. All you need to do right now is listen to my voice…You are strong, I know that. You mean everything to me, and I will be here whenever you need me. You don't have to tell me anything right now, but know that I will always lend an ear. I love you, princess…Forever and always…It's alright…Take deep breaths…in and out…"

Akashi's comforting voice slowly brought Kuroko out of his panicked state, allowing him to regain control of his breathing. Resting his head against his lover's shoulder, he placed his still shaking hands on top of Akashi's. All the while, the red-head still purred words of affection into the nape of his neck.

Being so close together, Kuroko could feel the rumbling from Akashi's chest every time he spoke; soothing him like no other. It was not long before the bluenette was being lulled to sleep, successfully avoiding his mental breakdown.

Feeling Kuroko's breath even out, Akashi placed his lips against the sleeping teen's hair. He knew his Tetsuya was going through a lot, but he just wished that he would _let him_ _in._ The red-head wanted to be his support, but Kuroko always kept everything bottled up inside, projecting to the world that he was fine when he really wasn't. Though Akashi knew he was the exact same way, but still.

Shifting their bodies so that they could lay on their sides, Akashi never once let go of the bluenette. He was comforting himself just as much as he was Kuroko. Softly kissing the phantom behind his ear, Akashi let his eyes fall shut as well. As he was drifting off, he made a mental note to make Kuroko finish every last scrap of food when they woke up.


	15. Chapter 15

I woke up to the moonlight streaming through the curtains on either side of the bed and a splitting headache. Looking at a digital clock on one of the end tables, I determined that we had slept for over eight hours. _'So much for the doctor's appointment, I guess…'_ My episode from earlier must have made my fever return, although I don't think it was as bad as before. Even so, the feel of the strong arms securely wrapped around my waist made me feel safe.

I have always loved those muscular arms…no. I loved _everything_ about Akashi. He was like my very own North-star; always leading the way when I was lost, from middle school until now. He was my support, my rock, my _everything_ , really. I know that some would say that I'm only exaggerating, but that isn't true. Not at all. I believe with 100% of my being that I'd be lost without him.

Just a little while ago, this man behind me saved me from myself. It really is heartwarming how much he puts me before himself, but I can't even bear to think how much of a burden I'm putting on him. Even by just _loving_ him…Akashi is the heir to his father's company, and he has been trained to be exactly that all his life. Everything has been planned out before him, and whether I like it or not, I wasn't supposed to be in that picture. Though that doesn't mean I will ever give up or stop loving him.

Like he has supported me, I will do my utmost to do the same for him. Even if that means stepping down and allowing him to live worry-free…

…..

Carefully removing himself from Akashi's warm embrace, Kuroko moved to sit on the edge of the bed. _'Wow…I hurt myself with my own thoughts…'_ Kuroko internally laughed, though the tears running down his cheeks contradicted that sentiment. Geez, he had been crying _way_ too much lately…

Palming his eyes, the bluenette stood. Analyzing the doors from earlier, Kuroko decided to see what was behind 'Door Number Three', hoping it was a closet. He assumed that his current attire consisted of the red-head's clothes, and he didn't think Akashi would mind if he borrowed some more. Turning the knob of the literal golden door, Kuroko found that his guess was correct; though what he found wasn't so much a closet as it was another freakin' _room_.

Shooing away the thought that his _own_ room could probably fit into this _closet_ more than twice, the bluenette searched for something to wear. He was comfortable enough with Akashi not to have any qualms about taking his clothes without permission. They had known each other for years, after all. Besides, Kuroko quite liked the idea of wearing the red-head's clothes, and he had a feeling Akashi would too.

Since their sizes were close enough, Kuroko could pick anything he wanted, though he opted for a pair of sweats and a form-fitting crimson t-shirt. After discarding his current clothes into the laundry basket, the bluenette put on his chosen outfit.

The pants were a little baggy, forcing him to roll the waist band several times. The shirt, on the other hand, fit perfectly, clinging to him like a second skin and showing off his lithe figure. To complete the ensemble, Kuroko picked out a super soft, super fuzzy pair of socks with little basketballs printed on them from the red-head's drawer. He didn't think Akashi was the type to wear cute stuff like this, but it was endearing.

Giving himself a once over in the full-length mirror (because who wouldn't have a mirror in their freakin' closet?), the bluenette nodded his head in approval. Kuroko wasn't as muscular as Akashi, but he was by no means lacking a good figure.

Thinking that he'd like to see Akashi in this form-fitting shirt, the bluenette had to stop his train of thought before he passed out again. He was still sick, and imagining the red-head in a shirt that showed off his perfect body certainly didn't help.

Emerging from the closet, Kuroko found Akashi still sleeping like a baby on the bed. He hadn't expected him to be such a heavy sleeper, but considering that the bluenette had been out for three days, Akashi might not have gotten much sleep due to worry. Feeling a twinge of guilt, Kuroko rounded the side of the bed, leaning over to kiss Akashi's forehead. A small smile graced the bluenette's lips when the red-head adorably reached a hand up to shoo away the disturbance. _'He's so guarded, even in his sleep…'_

Backing away from the bed, Kuroko made his was over to the door Akashi had went through earlier when he went to get the food. The bluenette knew that he shouldn't be wandering around, but he was really curious as to what Akashi's house looked like, and he couldn't bear to wake the red-head up. Besides, it was late and he was hardly noticeable, what's the worst that could happen…?

…..

A sense of unease washed over Akashi's sleeping figure, causing him to subconsciously reach for his boyfriend beside him…Or at least his boyfriend was _supposed_ to be beside him. Popping up like a jack-in-the-box, Akashi quickly searched the bed. Not finding the bluenette, the feeling of unease was renewed as the red-head got up to investigate. Maybe Kuroko was just in the bathroom? Yeah…that must be it, right?

Speed walking over to the bathroom, because an Akashi does not _run_ in his own home, Akashi found no trace of his Tetsuya. Dragging a palm down his face, the red-head inwardly groaned. _'Oh love, where have you gone?'_

Normally it wouldn't be such a problem that Kuroko wasn't in his room, but today Akashi's father had returned home from a business trip abroad. A butler had informed him earlier when he had woken up in the early evening.

Akashi had gone downstairs to discard the food tray he had brought up in the morning, but was stopped by the head butler. He was then told his father had arrived a short while before. That wouldn't be such important news if it weren't for the fact that Kuroko was currently upstairs, asleep in his bed. Akashi Masaomi had never liked Seijuurou's friends, and he certainly wouldn't like the fact that Akashi had nursed Kuroko back to health in Masaomi's home.

If that wasn't bad enough, there would be absolute hell to pay if Akashi Senior found out about his son's relationship with a former _male_ teammate.

After receiving the less than stellar news, Akashi had immediately went and greeted his father, informing him that he would be studying all day and he wished not to be disturbed. His father had dismissed him and it's not like they interacted much usually; it was just a precaution.

The red-head had then returned to his room, pulling his sleeping boyfriend into his chest. Akashi hadn't meant to fall asleep, but he must have been more tired than he thought because he was out within a few minutes of his head hitting the pillow. The sweet vanilla scent coming from Kuroko may have also played a part in lulling him to sleep.

Now he's in his current situation, where he has a phantom sneaking through his house and a lion who can come upon his prey at any minute.

What in the world was he going to do?!

 _'_ _Not stand here like an idiot, that's for sure.'_ Thought Akashi as he quickly went into his closet so he could change his clothes.

 _'_ _That's funny…I thought my crimson t-shirt was clean…hmm'_ he hummed, rifling through his choices. In the end, he threw on a pair of jeans and a white v-neck. Not even bothering to check his appearance, Akashi rushed out of his room. He needed to find the phantom before his father did, and hopefully inform any servants still awake to let him know about all sightings of the bluenette without Akashi Senior ever finding out.

 _'_ _Well I've got a tough job ahead of me…'_

…..

Kuroko hadn't wanted to admit it, but…he was lost. In fact, he was pretty sure he'd been lost four hallways ago. After leaving Akashi's room, he had taken a right and walked down an impossibly long corridor. He had been observing the gaudy décor and had subconsciously made a few turns, and now he didn't know how to find his way back.

Kuroko was slightly surprised that he didn't see many servants, but considering the time of night, most of them had probably already retired to their chambers. Reaching the end of his current hallway, the bluenette was absolutely speechless, but only for a few seconds. After he recovered, he quickly face-palmed.

 _'_ _For the love of basketballs everywhere…please don't tell me that that is a suit of freakin' armor…'_

Kuroko was absolutely floored. He hadn't expected this, but at the same time, he did. This was the Akashi mansion after all. What kind of rich people would they be if they didn't have a suit of armor? Not very good ones because all rich people are required to have a suit of armor it seemed…

Sighing, the bluenette resumed his search of the house. He had long since given up returning to Akashi's room on his own, so he might as well make the most of it. Akashi would come looking for him once he woke up anyway.

Another thing Kuroko discovered while snoop- _looking_ around, was that each and every one of the curtains were maroon. The interior decorator must have been an Akashi, because it seems like the family color is any shade of red.

Coming upon a staircase, Kuroko made the descent and walked down another corridor, though it was significantly shorter than the rest. When he reached the end, he found two large metal doors. Pushing through them, he found himself standing in a _ginormous_ kitchen. There were at least three fridges and stoves. Walking over to one of the stainless-steel top-of-the-line fridges, Kuroko pulled the heavy door open with a bit of difficulty. Once he did, however, he was positive he found desert _heaven_. He could feel his mouth watering already.

There was a large array, but of course Kuroko was drawn right to the vanilla treats. Nobody would mind one or two vanilla cupcakes going missing, right? Grabbing the sugary goodness, the bluenette felt like he was revived with just one bite. It was the best cupcake he'd ever had. Just as Kuroko was devouring his second treat, he heard footsteps approaching the kitchen. _'Shit'_ Panicking, he dashed over to a door adjacent to where he entered. Hopefully there was a way out…

…..

As the bluenette quickly and quietly fled the kitchen, Akashi Masaomi entered. He had been up late doing paperwork, and since the servants had all been dismissed for the night, he had to go get his own glass of water. When he was nearing the kitchen, Masaomi heard shuffling noises and he could swear he heard a door shut. Upon closer inspection, he discovered his son standing near the counter.

"Seijuurou, what are you doing?" Masaomi asked in a strict voice that carried through the empty space. If he didn't know his son better, he would've sworn he saw him flinch.

Slowly turning around, Akashi responded to his father in a flat but respectful tone. "I was thirsty, so I came to get a drink. I assume you were the same, father?" The younger Akashi expertly directed the conversation, weaving the words together like they were thread.

"Hmm…" humming as if he didn't quite believe Seijuurou, Masaomi retrieved himself a glass of water and with one last suspicious look towards his son, filed out of the kitchen.

Waiting until Masaomi was not only no longer in sight but earshot as well, Akashi let out the breath he had been holding. His mission to find Kuroko had led him to the kitchen, and he was about to see if he could find any clues before his father walked in on him.

Akashi wasn't going to lie, he nearly had a heart attack when it was his father's face that appeared from behind the doors. The red-head was positive that his Tetsuya had been in the kitchen recently since there were a few vanilla cupcakes missing, and time was of the essence now that his father was out and about as well. When he got his hands on the bluenette, Akashi wasn't going to let him out of his sight! He might even have to give him some punishment…

Akashi was about to leave through the kitchen's main entrance before he spotted the servant's door. It was used when the servants wanted to get from one area of the house to another during a party. It wouldn't be very proper for kitchen staff or anyone other than waiters to be amongst the guests, now would it?

Peeking his head out the main doors to make sure his father really _was_ gone, Akashi speedily snuck through the servant's entrance. Hopefully the bluenette hadn't made it _too_ far…

 _'_ _Tetsuya, where are you…?'_


	16. Chapter 16

Kuroko was starting to regret ever leaving Akashi's room. First, he got lost, then he almost got caught stea- _borrowing_ some cupcakes, and now he was lost _again_ but it was pitch black too! After ducking through a side door in the kitchen, he couldn't find any light switches but he heard voices so he had to keep going. The bluenette felt so stupid right now; why hadn't he brought his phone? He didn't think he'd need it inside a house, but this place was bigger than a mall!

Now he was reduced to keeping one hand on the wall and another out in front of him so he didn't smack his face into anything. _That_ would be like hitting someone while they were down, and Kuroko was most certainly down. Once he got back to Akashi's room, he was _so_ never leaving without an escort. Kuroko didn't even know why he left his boyfriend's arms in the first place. Curiosity killed the cat, after all.

…..

Walking down the thin corridor, Akashi had to hold his phone out in front of him so he could see. If he turned on the lights, his father might notice and come investigate, and if Kuroko really _did_ go this way, then he couldn't let that happen. It'd be nice if the bluenette just stayed in this hallway, but Akashi wasn't very hopeful; his Tetsuya was a little hellion, after all. Heaving a sigh, the red-head continued down the hallway until he reached the end, hoping the bluenette hadn't gone through one of the _many_ doors that branched off the main corridor.

The door at the end of the main corridor led to the patio outside which overlooked the backyard, which was around an acre just by itself. If Kuroko was out here, it would take _forever_ to find him, given the massive size. Oh, and did he mention they had a maze of rose bushes? No? Well they do.

Akashi's mother had always loved gardening, and as a way of challenging him while also having fun when he was a child, she had built a maze. It covered over two-thirds of the backyard, and was also rather difficult to navigate. After his mother died, Masaomi couldn't take it and threw away everything she owned. Pictures, utensils, plates, cups, bowls, chairs, paintings…Everything she had ever touched. Akashi had been lucky enough to secretly obtain some of her belongings, which he brought to the center of the maze to build a shrine for his mother. He knew his father never entered the maze, so whenever he was feeling down or having a hard time, he went and spoke with his mother.

Just looking at the entrance to the shrine brought back so many memories, and Akashi felt a wave of emotion wash over him. It was an unsettling feeling, one that he didn't welcome. The red-head hated being unsure of himself, and remembering his mother was something that made him falter.

He let his eyes fall shut as he took a long, deep breath, trying to regain his composure. _'I could really use a shot of my Tetsuya right now…'_ Akashi thought, dragging a palm down his face. After several moments, he reopened his eyes and put on his game face. If Kuroko went anywhere, it would most likely be the maze. Somehow, his little phantom was always drawn to face the unknown, so if he was in the backyard, he would attempt to navigate a maze like it was totally normal.

Forcing himself to get over his initial reluctance to enter the maze, Akashi ambled between the two roman pillars that marked the entrance.

…..

Reaching the center of the maze, Kuroko halted in his steps. For some reason, he felt as if he was being led here.

After exiting the corridor, he stood on a patio overlooking the backyard, which was vast, to say the least. He stood stock still for a few minutes, until he felt something wash over him. In a trance, he walked through the maze, taking all the correct paths, and now he was here. Gazing at a photo of a stunning woman with red hair and brown, doe-like eyes. There were several items surrounding the picture, probably the woman's belongings.

For a while, he just stood there, eyes not able to leave the picture. The woman looked so much like Akashi: beautiful, confident, and powerful. Snapping out of his stupor, Kuroko slowly approached the shrine (Well, at least he thought it was…), carefully lowering himself to his knees. He felt his heart ache as he studied the picture. This woman must've been Akashi's mother.

His face showed no emotion. It was as expressionless and stoic as ever, however, the tears steadily streaming down his cheeks contradicted his doll-like mask. He wasn't crying for the woman. Don't get him wrong, Kuroko was sad that she was gone and hoped her soul rested in peace, but he knew that no one could live forever. No…The bluenette was crying for Akashi. For all the hardships he had to go through. For the death of his mother, for his impossibly strict father. For always having to be perfect. For all the expectations placed upon his shoulders…The red-head may have been wealthy, but only in money.

Akashi didn't have a loving mother or caring father. He didn't have anyone to turn to, anyone to help him. He was expected to be great, never to fail. There were so many people around him, but he was alone…

And _that_ is why the tears kept falling. For Akashi who could never have what he wanted, do what he wanted, _be_ who he wanted. If even as a child he had to hide away his mother's shrine, how much pressure was he under? How much did this affect a child's mind?

Kuroko didn't know, but nonetheless the tears wouldn't stop. He was being so wimpy lately, but at least he wasn't crying about his own problems. This was for his boyfriend, and the bluenette allowed anything for him. Even bawling like a baby…Not that he was or anything…

As he clapped his hands together and began praying, he heard feet shuffle behind him. Quickly palming his eyes, he turned in time to see Akashi approaching him with confident and determined steps. He saw the red-head's eyes briefly shift from himself to the picture behind him, and then they were locked with his once more. The look in Akashi's eyes was drawing Kuroko in, hypnotizing him. The bluenette couldn't place a name to that look, but he could place a name to the anger he saw in the red-head's fixed jaw. _Uh-oh…_

Kuroko knew Akashi would be mad that he left the room, but maybe that was part of the reason he did it. It was shameful to admit, but the anger the red-head was displaying, the one reserved only for _him,_ sent chills up his spine. It excited him, kind of like the thrill of the chase, he supposed?

The way Akashi approached him was like a predator stalking its prey, and it was only a matter of time before Kuroko was caught. The closer the red-head got, the faster the bluenette's heartbeat became. He was starting to get hotter, but Kuroko chose to blame that on his fever.

"Tetsuya…" Akashi drawled, low and husky, sending another round of chills up Kuroko's spine.

Absentmindedly licking his lips, the bluenette had to tilt his head back to continue looking at the red-head's face as he got closer. "What can I do for you, Akashi-kun?" he parried, trying to stand his ground. He may have been the one in the wrong, but he wouldn't give up so easily. Besides, this little game was rather fun.

Kuroko could see Akashi's eyebrow twitch, and he knew he stepped on a landmine. Best to apologize before he made matters worse. _'So much for not giving up so easily…'_ Bowing his head, he did his best to look apologetic. "I'm sorry, Akashi-kun. I woke up and you were asleep and I was bored and I took your clothes and I-"

He was cut off as he was engulfed by a pair of arms, effectively ending his babbling. "Oh Tetsuya, my love, you have no idea how worried I was. You weren't in my arms when I woke up…"

The tone of Akashi's voice made Kuroko feel even worse, but all he could do was return the embrace, assuring the red-head that he wouldn't leave. This place must have brought back memories of his mother, reminding him of how she left. Kuroko felt horrible for bringing him back here, but Akashi was strong and if he ever needed support, the bluenette would be there for him no matter what.

"I'm sorry, Akashi-kun. I promise I won't do it again." He whispered as he buried his face in his boyfriend's neck. Feeling the hold on him tighten, Kuroko suddenly got a bad feeling.

"You got that right." Kuroko could hear the steel in the red-head's voice, and he figured he wasn't getting out of this with just a hug and an apology.

Akashi pulled away, and Kuroko gulped, waiting to hear his punishment. He had his eyes clenched shut, and his face to the ground for a few minutes, awaiting the inevitable.

"…"

Opening one eye, he confirmed Akashi was still in front on him. _'Why isn't he saying anything?'_ He thought, head rising to peer into the red-head's face. He had no time to react before a pair of lips captured his own, devouring him rough abandon. Eyes flying open, Kuroko was caught off guard.

 _'Wait! We're right in front of his mother!'_ He panicked, attempting to break free from Akashi's hold. Unsuccessful, Kuroko decided to just give in and close his eyes, apologizing to Akashi's mother in his mind.

 _'Forgive me, Akashi-san…I love him though, if that's any reassurance…"_

 **A/N:**

 **I apologize for the late update. A lot of stuff has been going on and I was kind of on a roll with All the World's Sorrows XD. Soo...Yeah, sorry for being late! Anyway, enjoy! :)**


	17. Chapter 17

After Akashi finally decided to release him, the blush never left Kuroko's face. Not when the red-head silently led him out of the maze, hands glued together, or when they carefully made their way back to Akashi's bedroom. Definitely not when Akashi threw the bluenette onto the bed, hovering over him with an intense look in his crimson and gold eyes. Kuroko was starting to think that the blush wouldn't leave his face anytime soon, not that he particularly minded, especially since Akashi was the cause.

"Uhm…Akashi-kun?" He spoke hesitantly, already treading on thin ice to begin with.

"…"

The look in the red-head's eyes only got sharper as he lowered his head, mouth brushing against Kuroko's ear with every shallow breath. Closing his eyes, Kuroko had to use all his willpower to resist the shiver that threatened to barrel through his body. The heat he felt from earlier was starting to reignite, and feeling Akashi's breath ghost over him only fanned the flame.

A singular hand ran down the length of his torso, ruining all his efforts to stay the shiver. Taking a deep breath, Kuroko pried his lids open to see his boyfriend's passionate blazing orbs, gazing at him like he was all that mattered in this world.

"Tetsuya…" Akashi breathed, causing the bluenette to quiver, eyes dilating.

"…Hmm…?" Kuroko hummed, unable to take his eyes off the inferno in front of him.

A smirk adorned the red-head's face as his mouth once again found its way to Kuroko's ear, nibbling on the lobe. "You look sexy in my clothes, Princess…" He murmured to the dazed bluenette.

"Mhmm…" He hummed again, in a drunken haze as he slowly processed Akashi's words.

Akashi sat back, watching as the gears in his boyfriend's head once again began turning and his blush returned in full force. The red-head let out a laugh as Kuroko smacked his thigh, grabbing a nearby pillow and hiding his face.

Smile growing, Akashi attempted to placate his ruffled kitten. "Aw…come now, love. Don't hide your beautiful face." He purred, placing a soft kiss to one of the bluenette's tightly clenched fists.

Kuroko could feel his face getting redder, and he let out a huff.

"Bakashi-kun…" The bluenette pouted, slowly removing the pillow, his only safe haven.

Akashi's breath caught as he took in the sight. His boyfriend was flushed, bottom lip jutting out, showcasing the most adorable expression ever. The red-head's smirk softened as he pulled Kuroko's back into his chest and tangled their legs together.

"Forgive me, love. However, a little teasing is nothing compared to what you pulled." Akashi cooed into Kuroko's ear, enjoying the shiver that once again ran up his spine.

Biting his lip, the bluenette cuddled further into the red-head's embrace. "I'm sorry, Akashi-kun…" He apologized, sounding unexpectedly dejected.

Sighing, Akashi buried his face in the neck in front of him, relishing in his partner's scent. "All is well, Princess. Just don't leave my arms a second time tonight, alright?" The red-head stated, smile evident in his voice.

Allowing a smile to materialize on his face as well, Kuroko interlocked their hands, slowly drifting off into sweet surrender in the arms of his lover.

…..

Groggily opening his eyes, Akashi found Kuroko still within his arms, and breathed a long sigh of relief. He didn't know what'd he do if the bluenette was gone again. A steady stream of light was flowing from the window, forming a glow around the smaller male, almost resembling a halo. Snorting, Akashi found it fitting, since the bluenette was his little angel, no matter how corny that sounded.

Pulling the sound asleep male closer to himself, the red-head closed his eyes once more, hoping to catch a few more minutes of sleep and ignoring the presence he felt within his room. After a few milliseconds, those crimson and gold eyes flew open as his body jerked into an upright position, meeting the blazing fury of his father's cardinal orbs. Mouth dropping open slightly, his heart beat took off to the races, and he felt himself pale considerably.

"Seijuurou!" The man bellowed, shaking Akashi to the very core.

 _'_ _Shit, shit, shit, shit! How the hell could I be so careless!'_ He screamed in his head, hands beginning to tremble.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Masaomi shouted once more.

By now, Kuroko was already awake and alert, a comforting hand discreetly running along the red-head's spine. The bluenette could tell Akashi was close to panicking, and he couldn't blame him. Masaomi's disappointed and furious glare was suffocating; Akashi must've felt like he was being crushed and his whole world was crumbling. Kuroko knew how much the red-head didn't want his father to know about their relationship, not because he was ashamed of the bluenette, but because his father was so unaccepting of everything he did. Not to mention the man was severely homophobic.

Hastily jumping out of bed, Akashi hesitantly approached the furious older red-head.

"Father I can-"

* _Smack*_

Akashi couldn't even finish his sentence before a large hand connected with his face, sending him back into the nearest bedpost. Back hitting the wood, the red-head's breath was wrenched from his lungs, leaving him gasping for air as he slid to the floor.

"Akashi-kun!"

Crawling out of the bed, Kuroko made his way over to Akashi, kneeling in front of him, shielding him from his enraged father.

"Step away from him, you pest," Masaomi snarled, taking deliberately slow steps towards the two boys.

Piercing the man with an icy scowl of his own, the defiance clear-cut in his crystal blue eyes. He didn't respond, afraid that he wouldn't be able to keep himself from insulting the man and getting Akashi in even more trouble, but he wouldn't give any ground either. No matter what, he would protect the red-head like the other had always done for him.

"I told you to _move_ …" He hissed again, not liking the look in Kuroko's eyes.

Gritting his teeth, the bluenette was beginning to become annoyed. " _No._ "

Kuroko barely had any time to block as a foot directed at his head swiftly approached him. Throwing up his forearms to protect his face, the force of the kick sent him flying. _'Tch. There's definitely going to be a bruise tomorrow…'_ He thought as he quickly pushed himself back up, in time to see a downright _livid_ Akashi fucking _round-house kicking_ his father. Kuroko's mouth dropped open in complete and utter _shock_ , as Akashi quickly ran his way and grabbed his hand.

Not giving Kuroko any time to recover from his disbelief, the red-head pulled him from the room, sprinting down the hallway. Kuroko could hear the older Akashi's screams in the distance, and he saw several maids stare at them in curiosity as they hurriedly made their way out of the house. When they reached the stairs, Akashi took them three at a time, leaving Kuroko stumbling and doing everything he could just to keep up.

Panting for breath, the bluenette was practically _dragged_ all the way to the front door where the head butler greeted them with surprise.

"Young Master, Kuroko-sama, where are you going in such a-"

Akashi didn't even let the poor man finish as hastily put on his shoes and threw open the front door. Quickly following the red-head's lead, Kuroko stuffed his feet into his shoes as Akashi spoke a few words to the butler.

"Don't tell him anything about me or Tetsuya, understand?" The red-head demanded, tone promising punishment should the man choose to disobey.

"Seijuurou!"

"Tch…"

Clicking his tongue, Akashi shot one last look at his butler, before seizing the bluenette's hand once more and taking off towards the road. Reaching the end of the driveway, the red-head paused for a second, head swiveling to look at the front door. There, in the entryway, was Akashi Masaomi, looking like a freshly cooked lobster with the way his face blended with his hair. Kuroko could even swear he could see the steam coming out of the man's ears.

Finally turning away, Akashi began to lead the bluenette down the road. Kuroko was thankful that they were no longer running, but the silence was deafening, and he felt like he was going crazy. He knew the situation was eating Akashi up, but he couldn't do anything about it, which was a shot to his ego and pride.

Sparing a glance at Akashi, the bluenette could see the pain in his eyes. No matter what the red-head said, Kuroko knew he had always respected his father. Gathering the nerve to talk, he began to open his mouth but was quickly shut up by the look on his boyfriend's face.

Eyebrows raised slightly, a sad smile appeared on the red-head's face as he spoke with a pained expression. "Don't say anything, Tetsuya. No matter who that man is to me, he is not allowed to hurt you… _No one_ is allowed to hurt you. I won't stand for it…"

Kuroko reached a hand up and gently caressed his beloved's face, trying to ease some of his suffering. Pulling the red-head closer, he connected their foreheads and stared into those beautiful heterochromatic eyes.

"I'm going to say something now, Akashi-kun, but you have to promise not to interrupt, okay?" Kuroko requested, pecking the red-head's lips. When he received a small nod, he began to speak again. "I know you will deny it, but I am sorry to have gotten you into this mess. It was my fault to begin with, and now you have run away from home. I won't applaud or condemn your actions, since I know you did it for me, but I just want you to know that no matter what," he paused, staring directly into his lover's eyes. "I will always be here to support you…" Kuroko finished by connecting their lips into a passionate embrace, assuring Akashi that he would always stay by his side.

After a few moments, the bluenette pulled away with a smile, threading their hands together. "Do you think Aomine-kun is in the mood for a sleep over?" He questioned as he waved his phone in the air and wiggled his eyebrows.

A smirk grew on Akashi's face as he gazed at his adorable boyfriend. "Hmm…Who knows?"

Pulling the bluenette towards him once more, he gave one last kiss before heading off towards the train station.

"…"

"…Tetsuya?"

"Yes?"

"I love you…"

The grin on Kuroko's face grew even wider with that statement, and he laughed to himself when he caught sight of Akashi's pink ears.

Letting the silence fill the air between them, Kuroko couldn't help but think of what was to come. The bluenette himself couldn't return home, and now neither could Akashi. Hopefully their former teammates would allow them to stay at their houses without asking too many prying questions…


	18. Chapter 18

* _Knock* *Knock* *Knock*_

"I don't want anything you're-"

"Good Evening, Aomine-kun." Cutting off the taller bluenette, Kuroko stood in the doorway with a blank expression next to a red-head with an equally schooled face. The couple stood there and watched as Aomine's thoughts played across his face, going from annoyance to wonder to confusion.

Not waiting for a reply, Akashi pushed passed the silent male, glancing over his shoulder. "Nice to see you too, Daiki. Thank you for inviting us into your home…" He said in complete sarcasm, not even bothering to say anything else as he made his way further into Aomine's house.

Turning his eyes towards the tan male once again, Kuroko bowed slightly as he spoke with his monotone voice. "Thank you for letting us stay. Sorry for the intrusion…" Like Akashi, the bluenette didn't wait for Aomine's reply as he walked over the threshold, took off his shoes, and went to find the red-head.

Standing stock still and gaping like a fish in the door way, Aomine was completely confused. One, why the hell were Akashi and Kuroko here? Two, why the hell were Akashi and Kuroko here _together?_ Three, why the hell were Akashi and Kuroko here?! Snapping out of his daze, he slammed the door and turned to race after his two former teammates. He wouldn't have been as shocked if it had just been the bluenette at his door, but the bluenette was with the red-head, and that was weird. Were they even friends? As far as Aomine knew, they weren't in contact with each other; at least not since Kuroko's birthday, which was a while ago.

"Oi!" The tan male complained when he reached the living room, finding the two teens on the couch, each with a cup of tea in their hands. Pausing, Aomine chose to let that part go, not even going to attempt to figure out how they prepared tea so quickly. Running a palm over his face, he let out a long sigh before flopping down in a chair.

"So? Why are you guys here?" Aomine asked, trying to regain control of his blood pressure.

Cocking his head to the side, Kuroko resembled a puppy as he responded to his former teammate's question. "Didn't Momoi-san tell you? We're going to be staying with you for a while." The bluenette replied as if it was completely obvious and Aomine was dumb for not knowing.

"One, what the hell!" Aomine yelled in a gruff voice as he pounded a fist on the arm of the chair. "And two, why the hell did you ask Satsuki?!"

Quiet throughout the whole exchange, Akashi slowly pinned Aomine down with his gaze. Setting his teacup on the coffee table, the red-head scooted to the edge of the couch and steepled his fingers under his chin. "Is there a problem with us staying with you, Daiki?" He asked in an even voice, though his undertone was edgy and bordering on dangerous.

Having a flashback to his middle school days, Aomine let out an unmanly squeak as he bolted up, informing the pair that they could stay before promptly removing himself from the room.

Lips curling into a smirk, Akashi turned his gaze towards Kuroko who in turn gave him a tired look. "See? I told it'd be easy."

Rolling his eyes, the bluenette patted the red-head's shoulder, giving a noncommittal reply as he trailed after the frightened basketball freak.

"Sure, sure…"

…..

"How dare he…"

"How dare he!"

Akashi Masaomi paced his room, livid after witnessing his son in bed with another boy. No…He was far beyond livid, especially after his own flesh and blood fucking _round-house kicked_ him! _Him_ , of all people! And for what? Some mutt he picked up on the streets? Some blue-haired freak who resembled a ghost…

How could his own son stray down the wrong path? What had Masaomi done to drive Seijuurou into the arms of another boy? No…This wasn't Masaomi's fault…He hadn't made any mistakes, it was the boy's fault. The blue-haired one…What had he done to make _his_ son turn from his rightful path? Masaomi didn't know, but he sure as hell would make sure they both regretted what had transpired.

Ceasing his pacing, a menacing look appeared on Masaomi's face as he stormed from his room. He passed several servants in the hallway, each one lowering their heads and bowing; none brave enough to look him in the eye. Like the fact that he was Akashi-fucking-Masaomi wasn't enough, but now he was twenty levels above his usual stick-in-the-ass mood, and no one was looking to get fired today.

Closing in on his intended target, Masaomi made long, confident strides until he was looming over his long-time employee. His long-time employee who always seemed to have a soft spot for his _son._

"Tanaka…" The red-haired devil grinned and folded his arms, looking every bit as insane and maniacal as everyone thought him to be.

Internally tensing, the aging man felt the years slowly shed from his life as he carefully regarded Satan himself, who stood in front of him with a shit-eating grin. To be honest, Tanaka Seiichirou had never really been fond of Akashi Masaomi. In fact, he would go as far as to say he despised the man. He first met Masaomi when Shiori-san's father arranged their marriage, and he became their head butler. The only reason he continued to work for the horrid man after Shiori-san died was for the sake of her only son, who was only a small child at the time. He couldn't bring himself to abandon the boy and leave him alone with his father, and so he continued to watch over him and make sure he was alright every time Masaomi went too far.

Tanaka had been very happy when he learned that the Young Master had a lover, and even more joyful when he met the child. Though the boy was unconscious at their first meeting, Tanaka could instantly tell how happy the child made the Young Master just by the look of worry on his unemotional face, and that was all that mattered.

Steeling his resolve, he looked his living nightmare in the eyes and calmly began to speak. "What can I do for you, Master?" Tanaka nearly cringed as the word "master" exited his lips, but held back, not wanting to upset the man even further. It would just get worse for the Young Master.

"Who was that boy that was with Seijuurou?" Masaomi questioned, attempting to gain the information he needed to make the boy's life a living hell.

Gritting his teeth, Tanaka prepared himself for the worse possible outcome as he began to lie to his boss for the first time in his life. Whatever happened, he would protect those two boys. The Young Master deserved to be happy, and by the looks of it, Kuroko-sama didn't have an easy life either. Those two unfortunate souls finally found something they treasured, and Tanaka would do everything in his power to protect that little happiness of theirs. It was the least he could do; for those boys, and for Shiori…

…..

Leaning on the frame of the door, Aomine made eye contact with Kuroko despite the darkness of the room. Akashi was on the couch, sound asleep. Though it was odd for him to be so defenseless around others like this, Kuroko couldn't blame him. After everything that happened today, he deserved a little rest. Setting his blanket to the side, he spared one last glance at the red-head before following his former light out of the living room. He trailed behind the taller bluenette in complete silence, trying to work out what he was going to say. Despite his usual lack of sharpness, Aomine sometimes had little sparks of intuition, so he must know that something was up; which is why he was currently giving Kuroko the stare down as he sat cross legged on his bed.

Grabbing the chair from the desk, Kuroko mounted it backwards and placed his chin on the back rest. He returned Aomine's gaze, simply arching one blue eyebrow. The bluenette wasn't about to be the first one to give in (blame it on his competitive nature), even if he and Akashi were being relatively unreasonable.

Sighing, Aomine lowered his head as he scratched at the nape of his neck. Flopping down ungracefully on his back, he cocked his head to the side, eyeing Kuroko once more. "So? Are you going to tell me why you're really here?" He questioned.

Though Kuroko had expected this question, he couldn't stop the slight flinch that wracked through his body. Closing his eyes, he tried to compose himself once more. He didn't really have the right to discuss Akashi's problems, and he certainly couldn't tell Aomine about _his._ The bluenette couldn't even tell the red-head, there was no way he was going to be able to tell the tanned male. Guilt washed over him as he bit his bottom lip and turned his head to the side.

Noticing Kuroko's silence and strange behavior, Aomine sighed once more as he pushed himself from his bed. Approaching the bluenette, he placed a hand on his shoulder, choosing to ignore the flinch.

"Listen Tetsu…" He began, seemingly struggling to find his words. "Haa…It's fine, you don't need to tell me right now, but I do expect an answer soon. I don't know what happened, but you guys are welcome to stay with me for the time being." Aomine declared before coughing into his hand to muffle his next words.

"Well, _you're_ more than welcome to stay, though I'm not so sure about the demon…"

Aomine's words brought a ghost of a smile to Kuroko's face as he followed the older boy's lead and stood up.

"Thank you Aomine-kun. We are very grateful. And I'm sorry…"

Waving a hand dismissively, the tanned male walked from the room and into the dark hallway.

Once Aomine was out of sight, Kuroko's face fell. He just couldn't stop the guilt from eating him alive, but now wasn't the time to be thinking of himself. Aomine was being generous enough to allow them to stay in his house, and Akashi was having problems of his own. Kuroko couldn't be moping around by himself right now, he needed to be strong enough to support Akashi…

 _'_ _Easier said than done…'_

Leaning his back against the wall, the bluenette slowly slid to the floor, collapsing into a boneless heap. Hugging his head with his arms, he clenched his jaw. He needed to be strong; he couldn't let things get to him. He was okay. Things were fine… _He_ was fine…

Repeating those words to himself like a sacred chant, Kuroko didn't even notice the flash of red on the other side of the door.

 **A/N:**

 **Ok, first of all, I'm sorry for being so late. That goes for All the World's Sorrows as well (which I hope to update soon). But like I said, I'm getting busier, so updates probably won't be consistent, but I will try my best!**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you think (so far)! :)**


	19. Chapter 19

Backing away from the door frame, Akashi rested his head against the wall and let his eyes fall shut. Kuroko was on the other side of this wall right now, dealing with everything by himself, bottling it all inside. The red-head knew that the bluenette was having problems of his own, and he had been patiently waiting on the sidelines until he was ready. But now…now Akashi just had to add his own problems to Kuroko's list of worries, and he was putting even more pressure on him. He just knew it was killing the bluenette to hide things and lie to Aomine, especially since they used to be so close, but they didn't have much choice…Akashi knew that, he did, but watching Kuroko hurting like this, it hurt him on a level so deep he hadn't even known it existed. Akashi never thought he would love someone this much; to the point where he was physically pained to see the other sad. It was amazing really, how human emotions worked.

Sighing, the red-head slowly slid down the wall, cupping his hands around his mouth and nose. He knew it was his fault that the bluenette was in pain right now, and he wanted so badly to go comfort him, but he couldn't find the right words; they all seemed so cheap. A simple, "everything will be okay", just wouldn't cut it this time, and Akashi didn't want to belittle and put off Kuroko's feelings with shallow words; that was one thing he would never do.

Gathering his thoughts together, Akashi drew in a long breath. Slowly releasing it, he pushed on his knees, lifting himself off the ground. As he began to walk away, his heart cried out for the bluenette, but he silenced it. Going to Kuroko right now would be of no help to him, and Akashi needed time to collect his composure again. The day had really been taxing on his mentality, but Kuroko was here, with him, and the red-head was going to make sure that everything was okay. His own problems, and Kuroko's as well…

…..

Aomine was growing increasingly suspicious, especially after seeing both the red-head and bluenette – notorious for being composed and unemotional – breaking down and, well…becoming _emotional._ He was also suspicious of how intimate their interactions seemed; the fleeting touches and longing gazes. Frankly, thinking about the possibilities made him shiver, but he couldn't help but be curious. Even though Aomine was usually denser than dense, he had a pretty good guess as to what was between his two former teammates, and he was going to find out the truth.

Shortly after the red-head returned to the living room, Kuroko composed himself again, and left Aomine's room. Looking at the bluenette, the tanned male could sense the turmoil raging in his small body, but it wasn't his place to interfere right now. Watching his former shadow disappear down the dark hallway, Aomine heaved a sigh and returned to his bedroom. Tomorrow would probably be a long day, so he needed his rest. Especially if was going to go through with confronting his ex-teammates. As he drifted off to sleep, he vaguely recalled how Kuroko mentioned that Kise was planning on making a visit tomorrow.

…..

* _Ding Dong_ *

Hearing the doorbell ring, Aomine got up from the couch and made his way to the front door. Pulling the heavy oak slab open, he immediately slammed it again, turning away with a blank face.

"Who was there, Aomine-kun?" Kuroko's voice sounded from the living room, curious face appearing in the hall shortly after.

Sighing, Aomine laced his fingers behind his neck, returning to the living room as if nothing happened. "Just a salesperson, don't bother." He replied, passing by the bluenette and patting his head.

* _Ding Dong_ * * _Ding Dong_ * _Diiinng Doonng_ *

The doorbell sounded repeated, reverberating through the house, annoying Aomine further and disturbing Akashi's morning tea. Tilting his head in curiosity, Kuroko glanced back at his former light, realizing he wasn't going to answer again. With a shrug of his shoulders, he willed his legs to move and gripped the front door. Thinking _'what the heck',_ he turned the shiny silver knob and yanked it open.

"So mean, Ahomineicchi!"

There, in the doorway, stood a tall blonde crying into his arms. _'Geh…'_ Internally cringing, the bluenette slowly turned around, trying not to make a single sound. Unfortunately, as he attempted to sneak away, the blonde finally ceased his theatrics and enthusiastically threw his arms around the poor boy's neck.

"Kurokocchi!" The model squealed, effectively shattering Kuroko's eardrums.

Aomine silently sent out a prayer for the small bluenette, apologizing for not informing him sooner. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Akashi rising from his place on the couch, a sharp look on his face. Quietly observing his former captain, Aomine rested his chin on a fist, watching the following events unfold.

"Ryouta… _So_ nice to see you again." Materializing behind Kise, Akashi's voice was sugary sweet. A chilling sensation ran down the blonde's spine as he carefully released the bluenette, back becoming rigid. Taking the chance to escape, Kuroko hurriedly made his way behind the red-head, not quite liking the tone of his voice. While it may not seem so at first glance, that tone only promised pain and suffering; not the least bit sweet at all. Carefully running a glance in his direction, Kuroko could see that Akashi was about to burst, even if Kise was harmless. The bluenette could only guess and say that the last few days were taking a toll on the red-head's psyche.

"A-Akashicchi, nice to see y-you too…" Kise stuttered, giving the Miracle captain an awkward smile. Apparently, he couldn't sense the danger that was present, amounting it to Akashi's typical behavior. Not wanting any blood to be shed in the hallway – because that would be a pain to clean up – Aomine decided to rescue the poor dolt before things got worse. Carefully approaching the red-head, Aomine spoke up. "What do you want, Kise?" He growled in his usual tone, hoping to dispel the heavy atmosphere. Akashi seemed to come to his senses, and led the bluenette into the living room.

The tanned male definitely wouldn't let Akashi's little scene go, and it only served to add to his suspicions. After they dealt with Kise, he was going to question the pair; possibly at risk of his own life.

…..

Following Akashi back to the living room, Kuroko was confused. There had been no reason for Akashi to get jealous, and even if there was, the red-head had been a little over the top about it. While Kise may not have noticed anything wrong, the bluenette could sense the barely veiled threats behind the red-head's tone and words, and by the looks of it, Aomine had as well. Relaxing himself on the couch, he gave his boyfriend a moment to organize his thoughts.

Locking his big blue orbs on Akashi, Kuroko asked the unavoidable question. "What was that, Akashi-kun?" His tone was by no means accusing, though it did hold some weight. The bluenette didn't want to step on any landmines, and end up fighting with the red-head. That was one thing they both didn't need right now.

Already knowing what Kuroko was referring to, Akashi heaved a deep sigh and rested his head on the back of the couch. Truthfully, Akashi wasn't sure what just happened. He just…snapped. He didn't even know why; Kise hugging Kuroko was nothing new, no matter how irritating it was. Kuroko wanted an answer, but Akashi just couldn't give him one. While the red-head didn't really regard Kise as a friend, he still didn't deserve to be treated that way, even if the idiot was unaware of it.

Closing his eyes, Akashi kept his voice hushed, "Princess…I just…I don't know. I just got so unbearably irritated, I couldn't stop myself." Leaning forward, he placed his face in his hands, not wanting Kuroko to see him this pathetic.

Regarding Akashi carefully, Kuroko gave a small sigh. Glancing towards the hall to make sure no one was watching, he engulfed the red-head in his arms. "I know that you're dealing with a lot right now, so it's okay. No matter what you do, you will still be Akashi-kun, and I love Akashi-kun." Whispering these words directly into the Akashi's ear, Kuroko sat back and watched as the tips got red; probably his face too, though he couldn't tell since it was still covered. Releasing a small chuckle, the bluenette patted the Akashi's head as he stood from the couch.

"I'll go make tea, okay?"

Watching as his boyfriend walked into the kitchen, Akashi flopped onto his side. His little devil was becoming more and more daring, not that he was complaining. While Akashi closed his eyes and entertained thoughts of his beautiful bluenette, he was unaware of the eyes observing the whole encounter.

…..

After turning away Kise and promising that the four of them would hang out some other time, Aomine didn't enter the living room immediately. He needed to gather more evidence if he was actually going to call his former teammates out, and what he got didn't disappoint him. He couldn't quite hear what they were saying, but their actions made up for the lack of audio. Neither of the two were the touchy feely type – at least not like _Kise_ – but they hugged, which was shocking. The bluenette's eyes followed Kuroko out of the room, before jumping back to the red-head. If Aomine really wanted to do this, he better do it now, when the three of them were alone and he still had the guts.

Frankly, Akashi's posturing from earlier almost dissuaded Aomine, but he was determined to see things through. Must be the detective blood running through his veins, he couldn't just let a case go unsolved. If his suspicions were proven true, then this would be big. No, bigger than big. Huge, gigantic, unfathomable! Basically, it'd be unbelievable, and Aomine was certainly going to find out.

Walking into the living room, the tanned male placed himself directly beside the red-head. He'd need to go balls to the wall if he was going to get everything out without shitting himself. Watching as the devil incarnate opened his eyes, Aomine forced away the shiver wanting to rampage through his body. Looking Akashi directly in the eyes, something he had never done before, he spoke.

"What's the deal between you and Tetsu?"

…..

Returning from the kitchen with tea, Kuroko placed the tray on the coffee table and glanced around the room. "Where is Kise-kun?" The bluenette questioned, cocking his head to the side.

"Oh, he left. He said he'd come back some other time." Quickly conjuring up a lie, Aomine leaned on the arm of the couch, stealing a glance at Akashi. The red-head wasn't returning his gaze, but he knew that Akashi was aware of it.

Feeling some tension in the air, Kuroko chose to sit in the armchair, away from the red-head and the hot-head. Something must've happened, as Akashi had on his "bow down before me" face, and looked royally pissed off. Pouring everyone a cup of tea, the bluenette lifted his own to his lips as he carefully studied both teens. Being the intuitive person he is, Kuroko could tell that things were about to get serious. Placing the teacup down once more, he waved a hand urging someone to speak.

"Hahh…" Sighing, Aomine slapped both cheeks as he scooted to the edge of the couch. Sparing glances at both the red-head and bluenette, he opened his mouth.

"Look, I'll be straight to the point…" Pausing for a breath, the tanned male gathered what was left of his courage.

"Are you two together?" He questioned.

Face paling, Kuroko quickly tried to recover. "Haha…What do you mean, Aomine-kun? Of course we're together, you're here too…" Pleading Aomine with his eyes not to continue, all his hopes were dashed.

"No…I meant, are you two together? As in, are you two dating?"

The bombshell dropped, there was nothing Kuroko could do but wait and watch as his world blew to pieces.

 **A/N:**

 **Okay, like I've been saying, I've been busy. I'll say this now...I'll try to update at least once every two weeks, and if we're lucky, maybe twice. Hopefully I will update All the World's Sorrows soon as well, but the same rule will apply for that too.**

 **Okkie Dokkie, anyway, hope you enjoyed. Let me know, and thanks for reading! :)**


	20. Chapter 20

The silence dragged on for what seemed like an eternity, all eyes on the stunned bluenette. Kuroko's senses steadily declined, his hearing going first. He felt numb all over, and all he could do was stare open-mouthed in Aomine's direction. Akashi appeared in his line of view, a look of concern drawn across his face. Kuroko could see his lips moving, but the words fell on death ears. Not only that, but there was a terrible ringing in his head, ricocheting in his mind and gradually becoming louder and louder. The bluenette knew somewhere in the back of his mind that he was overreacting, but he was seriously worried. Even if it was only Aomine that knew now, things were bound to get worse. Once one person knew, the information would spread like wild-fire, even if the original person had no malicious intentions. Feeling someone shaking his shoulder, the things around him became unmuted.

"…suya!"

"Tetsuya…Tetsuya! Are you alright?" Shifting his worried blue eyes over to Akashi's concerned orbs, Kuroko felt lightheaded. Not wanting to worry the red-head further, he opened his desert dry mouth to respond.

"I'm…fine…" He choked out. His throat felt scratchy, like he had swallowed sandpaper. Remembering Aomine was still in the room, the bluenette's head whipped in his direction. Lips slightly trembling, he pleaded with the tanned boy.

"Please don't tell anyone, Aomine-kun… _please…_ "

Kuroko admitted it, he was freaking out. In reality, he wanted so badly to shout to the heaven's that Akashi was his, but he just couldn't do that. There was no telling what the red-head's father might do if he found out Akashi was dating a _boy_ (though he might already know…) _._ Akashi Masaomi was capable of many things, and making his own son disappear would be no difficult feat. Kuroko wasn't about to let that happen, and so he desperately locked eyes with his former light.

"Look, Tetsu-"

Aomine was cut off when a tear rolled down the bluenette's cheek; a singular drop staining the floor. Also witnessing this, Akashi quickly gathered the boy in his arms, shielding him from sight.

"Shh…Tetsuya. It's alright, it's fine…He won't tell anyone and besides, that's one less person to keep a secret from, right?" A dazzling smile emerged on Akashi's face as his thumbs chased down the tears falling from Kuroko's watery blue eyes.

Clearing his throat, Aomine received a death glare from the red-head who still had Kuroko secured in his arms. Pointing his sharps eyes towards the ex-Miracle, Akashi spoke. "We will talk about this later once Tetsuya has calmed down. I hope you know that not a word will leave this room, correct?" A singular, blood-red eye brow arched, daring Aomine to protest.

Throwing his hands up in surrender, the tanned male slowly stood from the couch and made his way out of the living room. Pausing at the doorway, he turned back in time to see Akashi whispering to the bluenette, a calming hand running down his back. Aomine could tell how close they were, and to be honest, he felt slightly jealous of their relationship.

Giving himself a mental slap, he turned and shuffled towards the stairs. Judging by the way Kuroko reacted, perhaps he shouldn't have confronted them. Since he knew the bluenette, the problem most likely fell to Akashi, which wasn't a shock given the teen's father. Aomine had only met the man once, but he could immediately tell that something wasn't right in his head; and Aomine was exactly the most _observant_ person out there.

…..

Collapsing onto his bed, Aomine groaned loudly into his pillow. Okay, so he knew for sure they were dating, but now he felt like crap. He made Kuroko freak out, and he was pretty sure he was now on Akashi's personal blacklist – if he hadn't been already. Aomine had to admit though, he felt content leaving the bluenette in Akashi's hands. The red-head had always had a soft spot for the phantom, and the tanned male knew that he would protect him with his life. Aomine guessed that maybe that connection had always been there between those two, and it just took them a while to find it.

Rolling onto his back, the ex-Miracle wondered what he should do now. He obviously couldn't tell anyone about Akashi and Kuroko's relationship, that is, not unless he had a death wish and wanted the bluenette to hate him forever. For now, he would give them some space, but they would have a proper talk later. No matter how much Aomine despised serious situations and conversations, he couldn't just leave things up in the air between the three of them. It would make things awkward, and Aomine hated awkward situations even more than serious ones.

…..

After Aomine left the room, Akashi held me in his arms and murmured soothing words into my ears. I admit that I may have been a bit dramatic, but what's done is done. Besides, cuddling with Akashi on the couch wasn't a bad result. We'll have to sort things out with Aomine later, but for now, all I wanted was to be wrapped in my boyfriend's arms; maybe even take a small nap…Who knows, but I just needed him right now. We had been through a lot lately, and I'm sure I'm not the only one craving for some contact. Akashi probably had it worse, with his father catching us sleeping together and all…Not only that, but Akashi round-house kicked the man, and then we ran away!

Things were going to get worse before they got better, especially now that Aomine has found out. Akashi's father is no doubt searching for us, and who knows when my former light will slip up and let the cat out of the bag? Not to even mention that Kise knows we're staying at Aomine's place…Oh boy, things just don't seem to go our way…

Putting aside all unnecessary thoughts, I raised my head and planted a soft kiss on Akashi's chin. He had fallen asleep some time ago, proving just how tired he was; not that I can blame him. He, more than anyone, deserves a rest. There were so many things we would have to discuss, but for now, we're fine like this. Twisting around, I retrieved a blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over our bodies. Catching colds definitely wouldn't solve _any_ of our problems…Casting one last glance at the child-like expression on Akashi's face, I burrowed deeper into his side; his arm coiled around my shoulders. Things will probably go to shit when we wake up, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there…

…..

"Hnn…"

Opening my eyes, my surroundings were blurry and my head felt like it was splitting apart. It was like someone was knocking on it with a hammer, or a really bad hangover – not that I've ever had a hangover. Feeling a weight leaning against my side, I peered down to find my Tetsuya snuggled under my arm. Despite the piercing headache, a smile twitched my lips. With everything that was going on lately, I'm glad he was by my side for two reasons. One, I'd be worried about him otherwise…two, he may not know it, but he really is my support…and three, I love him…Okay, so maybe it was for more than two reasons, but that doesn't really matter. Point is, I'd go crazy if Tetsuya wasn't here and I feel like he'd say the same.

It really broke my heart, seeing him cry earlier. I know how much he wants to tell everyone – believe me, I do too – but he has convinced himself that he can't. I'd personally be fine if Tetsuya told everyone – even if it would give me a little trouble – but there's no getting that through his stubborn blue head. Things probably aren't as simple as I'm making them out to be, but I'm pretty sure my father already knows about us. He caught us sleeping together, after all. Besides that little fact, I have never brought anyone over to our house before, so that might've been another giveaway.

"Mmm…"

Watching Tetsuya grumble in his sleep was immensely pleasing, no matter how creepy that sounded. What can I say, he's adorable, and having him here in my arms and safe…well that puts my mind at ease.

Thinking about our situation again, I still don't know the whole story with Tetsuya's family. I know it must be hard for him to tell me, and I understand that, I'll wait as long as I need to until he's ready, but that doesn't mean I won't be curious. Rather than curious, it's more along the lines of being worried. Last week, I found him alone, in a park, with an extremely high fever. If his parents were at all caring, which I know they aren't, that wouldn't have happened. Not only that, but the when I spoke to his mother, the activities they seemed to be participating in were… _dubious_ to say the least. No matter the case, I won't let him go back there. Tetsuya deserves much better, and I'll make sure he gets just that…

…..

Side by side on the couch, Akashi and Kuroko stared back at Aomine who was sitting across the coffee table on the arm chair. While Kuroko still felt a little nervous about talking things over with his old light, he'd be fine. He had discussed it with Akashi, and as long as the red-head was by his side, he'd get through this. Locking his cerulean blue eyes with Aomine's, the bluenette waited patiently for him to speak.

"So…How long have you two...uhhh…" Stumbling over his words, the tanned male cut himself off, feeling that the majority of his point had gotten across. Truthfully, there were a lot of other questions he could've asked, but he felt like now wasn't the time.

Glancing at Kuroko out of the corner of his eyes, Akashi answered. "If you must know, he's been mine since the night of his birthday party." The red-head knew he was being a little defensive, but he wasn't about to let Aomine make his Tetsuya cry again. Just for a little added drama, Akashi lifted his and Kuroko's entwined hands, placing a kiss on the back of the bluenette's and all the while staring directly into the ex-Miracle's eyes. Judging by the way Aomine averted his eyes, Akashi succeeded with his mission, causing a victorious smirk to emerge on his face.

Witnessing Akashi's little posturing act, Kuroko elbowed him in the side, silently scolding him with his narrowed blue eyes. Turning his attention back to Aomine, the bluenette urged him to speak. "We have been together since my birthday, Aomine-kun. Do you have any other questions?" Kuroko was proud of himself for maintaining his composure. He had lost it earlier, but so far, he could keep his emotions in check.

"This may be a stupid question, but does anyone else know?"

"No. No one besides you knows, and it's going to stay that way." Snapped Akashi, still peeved about earlier.

Internally flinching, Aomine pressed on. "Uhhmm…Have you, uhh, gone on dates?"

Arching an eyebrow, Kuroko cocked his head. "Yes?"

"Have you guys…kissed?" The tan male continued, confusing the bluenette even further.

"Uhmm…Yes…?" A tiny, rose-tinted blush bloomed on Kuroko's cheeks as he averted his eyes from Aomine's.

Seeming to follow the bouncing ball, Akashi's eyes narrowed. If looks could kill, Aomine would've been dead years ago.

"Then, uhmm…Have you, uh…*ahem*…Have you, ya know, done it?" He spoke into his fist, a red tint on his cheeks. Glancing at Kuroko, it appeared that the bluenette hadn't pieced the puzzle together yet, and he didn't even dare steal a glance at Akashi. Aomine knew for sure the red-head was planning his untimely demise.

"Done what, Aomine-kun?" The bluenette asked innocently. Of all the times Kuroko failed to read between the lines – or actually, _read the lines_ , it had to be now. Although, Akashi and Aomine might have found him adorable for that. Both teens allowed the information to stir, letting the bluenette figure things out on his own.

Tilting his head to the side, Kuroko thought long and hard. What did he mean? Done "it"? What was "it"? _'He asked if we kissed and then…'_

Realization popped on the bluenette's face, and his jaw steadily dropped, mouth forming an O. Okay, that was it. Kuroko held his emotions in check long enough, and Aomine had gone over the line.

Face erupting with complete mortification and embarrassment, the bluenette jumped up from the couch and marched over to Aomine. Before anyone could react, he gave the taller boy a quick slap to the cheek before he rushed out of the room; feet pounding on the stairs a few moments later.

Aomine was left stunned, although he supposed he deserved it. That was a rather insensitive question, after all. While he had done it to lighten the mood a little, he could understand why Kuroko was upset. Either way, something had to be done to break up the tension, though he had some more serious questions to ask later; perhaps when they were more comfortable with Aomine knowing. Despite his looks, he really did care about the two idiots, and he considered them friends…Yes, even Akashi.

Speaking of Akashi…Too afraid to lift his head, he continued to have it tilted down. He could see that the red-head was right in front on him, but he had learned from passed experiences not to look the beast in the eyes.

"A-o-mi-ne- _kun…_ " Akashi chirped in a sing-song voice.

Letting out a half laugh half whimper, Aomine knew he was royally screwed. Literally. The devil himself had shown up to mete out his punishment…

Let's just say that Aomine's screams could be heard throughout the neighborhood…


	21. Chapter 21

Storming up the stairs, Kuroko ripped open the door to Aomine's room; slamming it once he was through. Belly flopping on the bed, the bluenette buried his face in the sea of navy blue pillows. He was absolutely mortified; face searing with embarrassment. In fact, he thinks the color rivaled Akashi's hair. Thumping his legs on the mattress and screaming into the pillow like a child throwing a tantrum, Kuroko took a few minutes to calm down before rolling over onto his back.

How could Aomine be so stupid? Kuroko knew that he was dumb, but how could he be so downright senseless? Who the hell asks his friends if they have had sex yet?! Not that the bluenette hasn't thought about sleeping with Akashi – trust him, he has – it's just…Kuroko definitely wasn't ready for that step in their relationship yet. He knew Akashi wasn't either, especially with everything that was going on lately.

Don't get the bluenette wrong, he loves the red-head with all his heart and some day he wants to be with him in that fashion…But truthfully, Kuroko is scared. He's scared to be so intimately involved with someone when he had virtually been ignored his whole life. For someone to portray such strong emotions to him and for someone to see nothing but him in all his raw passion…It was a frightening thought. Even though he's scared, he does find the thought of being so utterly bare in front of each other appealing. To see the sides of each other that no one has ever or will ever see…

Anyway, the point was, Aomine is a complete idiot. He was a big, insensitive, oaf who only knows how to play basketball…A complete and utter dummy…A buffoon…A dolt…

Sighing, Kuroko once again rolled into the mass of pillows. Now that he thinks about it, at least his mind wasn't on other matters…Other, more stressful, matters. Perhaps Aomine had done it on purpose, but that is still no excuse to be so tactless. Well, either way, Kuroko wasn't planning on letting the taller boy have access to his room for a while. The bluenette needed some time to think by himself and organize his hectic brain. Right now, it was a mess, and he needed to put everything back in place before he could face Aomine or Akashi again. Kuroko had had enough of being weak; the bluenette was going to get his shit together and actually do something about their problems for once.

Yawning, his heavy eyelids began to droop. Well, maybe he could get his shit together after a quick nap. He hadn't been sleeping well lately, and these pillows were just dragging him under. They were so unbelievably soft!

…..

After Akashi had dealt with Aomine, he decided to take a walk to clear his mind. He wanted to go to the bluenette, but he was all curled up on Aomine's bed like a cat. It was really cute, except for the fact that Akashi actually got jealous seeing his lover on another man's bed. He had to push down the feeling, since he knew they didn't really have anywhere else to go, but once everything was all said and done Akashi wasn't letting Kuroko sleep on anyone's bed but his.

"Hahh…"

Heaving a sigh, the red-head wandered down the road. His mind was filled to the brim with the bluenette, especially with what Aomine had said earlier. It was a totally insensitive question, but it really had Akashi thinking. He hadn't brought up the topic with Kuroko because he knew the bluenette wasn't ready, but in all honesty, Akashi really wanted to be with him in that sense. Now obviously wasn't the time to be a stereo-typical hormonal teenager, but Akashi did imagine situations like those.

Picturing Kuroko writhing beneath his body in a mess of passion. Panting and moaning and begging for more, for Akashi; gripping him as tightly as he could. The red-head imagined whispering dirty words in the bluenette's flushed ears and hearing Kuroko scream out his name. For the bluenette to mark up his back and prove to the world that they were each other's, that no one else could interfere.

Akashi imagined all these things, but he would never force Kuroko. The red-head knew that he was scared, and Akashi never wanted to hurt the bluenette – especially not like that. Not matter how strong his desire grew, Akashi would always wait until Kuroko was ready.

Groaning, Akashi clapped his hands on his cheeks, staining them scarlet. He really needed to stop thinking about Kuroko, or he was seriously going to have _hard_ time…

…..

Returning to Aomine's house, Akashi slowly crept into his room and near his very own sleeping beauty. Resting on the edge of the bed, the red-head gazed over his lover's figure. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, and his body seemed fatigued. Carefully removing the large pillow from Kuroko's arms, Akashi replaced it with himself. He knew that everything was weighing heavily on the bluenette's mind, so he really must be tired.

Gathering the boy in his arms, Akashi placed a gentle kiss on his temple. Akashi jerked slightly when the bluenette stirred, only to be surprised when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso and squeeze him tight. A small grin tugged at the red-head's lips as he pulled Kuroko closer.

Akashi didn't know how he did it, but this little bluenette always brought him such joy and happiness. Even when things had gone to shit like they had, Akashi always found himself smiling in Kuroko's company; that's just how much the little phantom meant to him, and he wouldn't trade their relationship for the world. No matter what his father had up his sleeve, Akashi would protect Kuroko with everything that he had. The red-head would give up everything if it meant that his Tetsuya would smile.

…..

"Mmmmnnn…"

Sitting up in the bed, Kuroko thrust his arms in the air and arched his back like a cat; stretching out his tight muscles. Feeling a strange weight around his waist, he glanced to his side, only to find his boyfriend melded against him.

"Hmph…"

Letting out a small huff, and smile tugged at his lips. The bluenette felt kind of bad since he probably worried the red-head, but he got a good rest. On top of all their other problems, sleep deprivation was certainly not needed. Deciding to stay in bed for a while longer, Kuroko laid back down and buried his face in Akashi's neck. He loved the red-head's scent. It was musky and woodsy and something so… _Akashi_ that the bluenette could never get enough. The scent was like a comfort blanket, and besides, sticking close to the red-head was a bonus.

Drawing in a deep breath, Kuroko slowly released the air from his lungs. He felt at peace, and he didn't want anything or anyone to disturb them. Just relaxing in bed – albeit not his bed – with his boyfriend was heavenly. Apparently feeling the bluenette's breath on his neck, Akashi stirred slightly, subconsciously turning his head to the side to give Kuroko better access. Grinning, he first placed a soft kiss on the red-head's chin before continuing down his neck. Reaching the junction of his neck and should, Kuroko's tongue darted across a patch of flesh. Not only was Akashi's scent amazing, but the feel and taste of his skin was as well. Heat raced up to Kuroko's face at that thought, causing a blush to erupt on his cheeks. _'Oh my god, I am such a whore…'_

Taking a minute or two to recompose himself, the bluenette tossed those thoughts out the window. Well, it's not like it really mattered, did it? No one else was here, and besides, Akashi was _his_ boyfriend. If Kuroko wanted to give him a hickey, who was going to stop him?

After pumping himself up, the bluenette once again approached the red-head's neck. Letting his tongue out of its confines, it connected with Akashi's cool skin. After a while, merely licking wasn't as satisfying anymore. Thinking, "what the heck", Kuroko decided to go for it. Placing a peck on the red-head's shoulder, Kuroko opened his mouth, teeth lightly grazing the flesh before it.

"Hmm…"

Feeling the pressure on his shoulder, Akashi stirred once more. This time, however, he awakened – albeit in a drowsy state.

"Mmmm…Tessuya?" He questioned, sleep-filled eyes not quite locking on the bluenette.

Glancing at the red-head's face, Kuroko was unsure of where his courage came from as he continued to faintly pull at Akashi's flesh with his teeth.

Eyes fluttering slightly, Akashi attempted to fight off his drowsiness. "Wha're you doin', Tessuya?"

"What does it feel like?" The bluenette quipped, a smile rising on his face.

Deciding to give the red-head a little wake up call, Kuroko put a little pressure behind his teeth, sinking them into his skin. Hearing the red-head mumble a small, "Ow", the bluenette sucked a bit. After a while, he released Akashi, placing a soft kiss on the bruise in mock apology.

Finally shooing away sleep, the red-head rolled over and on top of the bluenette. Gazing down at him with a smirk playing on his lips, Akashi hovered over his lover. "My, my. What is my naughty little kitty doing?"

Bringing a hand close to his mouth, Kuroko eyes were hood as he jutted out his bottom lip. "Meow~?" He purred, blue eyes meeting heterochromatic ones.

"…"

"…"

The silence persisted for a long while before Kuroko's whole body erupted in crimson and his hands flew to his face with a great big "smack!". Hiding his face from view, he was absolutely mortified.

"Oh my gosshhhh!" The bluenette yelled, curling into a ball and turning on his side. Akashi's voice rumbled in laughter as Kuroko was busy wishing for a hole to appear and swallow him up.

"Hmm…" Humming, Akashi brought himself closer to Kuroko so he could whisper in his ear. "Since when did my princess learn to play along?" The red-head crooned.

Kuroko would never admit it, but Akashi's voice was unbelievably sexy. In fact, Akashi's voice was always sexy, and it was one of the many things he loved about the red-head. What he didn't exactly love, however, was how Akashi would tease him. Well…Actually, he didn't _dislike_ it, it just made him all the more embarrassed.

Moving his hands away from his face, Kuroko turned towards the red-head with a pout. "Akashi-kun." Whining a little, the bluenette looked up through hooded lids.

Revealing a tender smile, Akashi connected their lips together in a heated dance. Kissing the red-head was another thing Kuroko loved, especially given how soft his lips were.

Threading his fingers in his lover's beautiful scarlet hair, the bluenette pulled him closer as he wished this moment would never end. Just as he thought that, however…

"Woah! Dudes, what the fuck! On _my_ bed too!" Aomine hollered as he covered his eyes, shielding the red-head and bluenette from sight.

Yet again, Kuroko was mortified. Akashi, on the other hand, was livid. The moment had been so good and the atmosphere so perfect, yet this tanned twit had to go and ruin it. A low growl erupted from his throat as he pushed himself off the bed, facing the taller teen.

"Daiki," Akashi began, cornering the teen. "Do you think you have a right to say such things? Hmm?" The red-head challenged, eyes flaring as he stalked closer.

"I, uh, uhmm…I think my, uh…I left the dishwasher running!" Aomine stammered, nearly tripping over his own feet as he hustled out of the room.

Sighing, Akashi shook his head. "The dishwasher is supposed to run you dunce…"

Sitting up on the bed, and miniature smile formed on the bluenette's face. He really did love his boyfriend, even when he gave people the third-degree. In the good cop, bad cop scenario, Akashi was definitely the bad cop. Thinking about it now, Kuroko loved that about the red-head too. He didn't take shit from anyone, and seeing him be so dominant and controlling…Well, it was kind of a turn on…Everything about the red-head was a turn on to be honest. Let's face the facts, Akashi was _hot_ , and Kuroko was very proud to be his boyfriend. The red-head treated him like a queen – virtually worshipping him. If those weren't the qualities of an amazing boyfriend then the bluenette didn't know what was.

As Akashi returned to the bed, it dipped under his weight. Curling a hand around the nape of his neck, Kuroko pulled him close to continue their kiss from earlier. Pulling away after a short time, both were panting. Staring into those magnificent heterochromatic eyes, Kuroko grinned, blue orbs holding a mischievous tint. Being by the red-head's side, he knew that everything would be ok. No matter what happened, they were together, and that is all that matters.

"Akashi-kun?"

"Yes, my love?"

"I love you…"

With that statement, Kuroko was rewarded with a rare sight…Akashi blushing up to his ears. Man, he was so cute! The bluenette knew that he had the absolute best boyfriend on the face of the earth, and he wouldn't change that for anything. Even all the vanilla milkshakes in the universe, believe it or not.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Sorry that the update is a little late, I've been a but busy and I didn't want to give you guys a half-assed chapter. Well, I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think! :)**

 **P.S. As always, thank you to all my amazing readers and those that leave comments! It really makes me happy! :D**

It had been several days since Akashi and Kuroko arrived at Aomine's house, and Kuroko decided he wanted to go back to school. He couldn't just keep missing, and besides, he had basketball practice and everything. Luckily, Akashi's school was on break, and he had suspended the club activities the week prior, so he wasn't missing anything. However, the red-head didn't like the thought of Kuroko going back to school. Things with his father were still up in the air, and he was worried that something might happen. The couple had multiple fights about the topic over the last few days, usually leaving Aomine as the middle man.

Whenever Aomine was about to be caught in something, the atmosphere would get unusually tense and his surroundings would become eerily silent. During those times, the tanned boy wanted nothing more than to get hit by a bus rather than listen to their arguments…Why? Because one couldn't just simply _argue_ with Akashi Seijuurou…But then again, the same could be said about Kuroko Tetsuya. Those two didn't just exchange conflicting words and opinions, oh no…They full on intellectually battled, incorporating mental attacks and killer stare-downs as well…

This, unfortunately, was one of those times, and Aomine contemplated on whether he should drive his head through the coffee table or not. Frankly, the bluenette saw no point in all the arguing. What was the harm in letting Kuroko go to school? He would never share his opinion with Akashi, though.

Hearing the pattering of feet come down the stairs, Aomine flopped face-first on the couch and leg out a long groan into the throw pillow. Couldn't they just give it a rest for a while? They were making Aomine himself want to go to school, and that was saying a lot.

"Don't walk away from me, Tetsuya." The warning in Akashi's voice was very evident, and it sent shivers running down Aomine's spine. How Kuroko had the guts to argue with this demon, the tanned teen would never know.

Kuroko appeared through the doorway to the living room, an irked expression dawning on his usually monotone face. The red-head followed not long after, though his expression bordered on livid with a tint of worry. He reached out and gripped the bluenette's shoulder, who in turn whirled around on his heel.

Arms crossing over his chest, Kuroko leaned to the side with all his weight on one leg. His body language just screamed irritation, and Aomine once again learned why you should never mess with Tetsu. In fact, the two made a frightening pair; the red-headed demon and the blue-headed phantom…

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko began, annoyance lightly laced in his tone. "I'm going to school on Monday, and nothing you can say will stop me." The bluenette stated, one blue eyebrow arching, daring the red-head to say otherwise.

For a while, nothing was said. The tension between the two was palpable as they engaged in a heated staring contest. With just one look from either of them, Aomine was sure he'd be cowering under his bed after quickly giving in to their demands. He may have been stupid, but when it came to instincts, Aomine knew who was higher up on the food chain.

After a good five minutes of silence, Akashi finally opened his mouth to speak. Kuroko was ready for more debating, but he was not expecting the words that eventually came out of his boyfriend's mouth.

"Fine, Tetsuya. You can go to school," A smug expression crossed Kuroko's face, but it was soon schooled as the red-head continued. " _However_ , I am going with you." The emphasis placed on the word "however" made it clear that there was no room for arguments, and with that, Akashi turned and left the room.

Raising his head slightly from his pillow, Aomine cautiously glanced at the bluenette. The tanned boy expected him to be radiating fury, but he unexpectedly found a rose blush gracing his pale cheeks. Aomine had no words, and let his head slack back into the throw pillow in front of him…

…..

Monday rolled around, and Kuroko was surprisingly nervous. For one, he didn't want his teammates to ask any questions, because he didn't have any answers. Sadly, that was but a pipe dream, since his team would have a field day with his unexplained absence over the last week. Not only that, but Akashi would be there with him. Apparently, the red-head had obtained permission from the headmaster, though Kuroko would never know how. Just another part of the mystery that was Akashi Seijuurou.

Anyway, point was, the bluenette's team was going to go bonkers. Kuroko wouldn't be able to give them a reason as to why the red-head was there, and he just _knew_ that they would begin to snoop around. If Seirin found out that they were together and currently staying at Aomine's, Kuroko was almost 100% positive that he would lose his mind. With how his team was, they would most certainly attract Akashi Masaomi's attention, which they really didn't need right now. Even if he didn't say it, Kuroko knew that Akashi was extremely stressed out, and the bluenette didn't want to add to his already long list of worries.

Sighing, Kuroko walked into the bathroom. He was the one who said he wanted to go to school, so he couldn't exactly mope around about it now. Whatever may come, Kuroko Tetsuya would be able to handle it. If worse comes to worse, he could always use his misdirection and flee, but that was a last resort. Glancing at the mirror, the bluenette cringed at the dark circles accenting his eyes. To be honest, he looked and felt like shit, but there were just some things you couldn't do anything about.

Quickly washing his face, Kuroko changed into his uniform and exited the bathroom. On his way out, he nearly bumped into Aomine, who was still very much like a zombie. The tanned boy mumbled a brief hello before slowly slinking away. Kuroko knew that Aomine wasn't a morning person – or really an any time of day person – but this was a little much. Shaking his head, the bluenette made his way into the kitchen, where his boyfriend was waiting with breakfast on the table.

Stopping in the doorway, Kuroko took a second to absorb the scene before him. Akashi was sitting at the table, one leg over the other, reading the newspaper. Light cascaded from the window above the sink and reflected off the red-head's gorgeous skin, giving off the impression that he sparkled. His hair was stylishly disheveled, and the shirt to his Seirin uniform was open, revealing his glorious chest. Kuroko had to swallow the lump in his throat and close his mouth, or he swore his drool would cause a recreation of Noah's Ark. He didn't even dare touch on the fact that his boyfriend had somehow obtained a Seirin uniform in such a short amount of time.

"Like what you see, Princess?" Akashi teased, a devilish smirk appearing on those sinful lips as he folded up the newspaper and tilted his head back slightly. The muscles in his chest flexed as he moved, and the bluenette had to forcibly drag his eyes away.

Willing the blush off his cheeks, Kuroko composed himself before he replied. "Someone's a bit cocky, isn't he?" Deflecting the red-head's statement, the bluenette got himself a glass of orange juice before sitting at the table across from Akashi. Taking a bite of his toast, his eyes once again crawled their way up to marvel at the red-head's amazing physique. If Akashi noticed, he didn't say anything, but the smirk was still present.

Deciding to change the topic, Kuroko addressed more pressing matters. "Akashi-kun," He began, obtaining the red-head's attention. Once their eyes locked, the bluenette continued. "What do you plan on telling my teammates when you come with me for practice? Or to class for that matter." Kuroko inquired, tilting his head slightly to the side.

Finding that action to be incredibly adorable, Akashi had a hard time keeping his mind on the topic. Digesting the question, he had to stop and think for a moment. What would he tell them? If he could, he'd tell them that he and Kuroko were dating, but that wouldn't be beneficial to him at all. How would he explain why he's in Tokyo and not Kyoto? Although the red-head felt that there was no need to explain himself, he knew that Kuroko wouldn't accept that as an answer.

Returning his gaze to the bluenette, Akashi found that he was staring at him expectantly. A soft smile graced Akashi's lips as he stood up and made his way over to Kuroko. Gently running his fingers through the boy's silky hair, the red-head looked him in the eyes.

"Well, I don't know for sure what I'm going to say, but it will be something along the lines of I'm visiting from Kyoto and I ran into you. Since I had "business" in Seirin anyway, I just came with you." Bending over, Akashi placed a small kiss on the bluenette's cheek before straightening up once more with a lopsided grin.

"If that satisfies you, I must be getting ready. Only my Tetsuya gets a free show." With one final wink for good measure, Akashi sauntered out of the room, leaving a blushing bluenette sliding down in his chair.

Akashi was so embarrassing!

…..

After finishing breakfast, Akashi and Kuroko left for school. They were silent as they walked, the back of their hands occasionally brushing. Kuroko swore that Akashi was doing it on purpose; he knew that the red-head just _loved_ making him blush. They still had quite a while until they arrived at the school since Aomine's house was significantly farther than Kuroko's, but he didn't mind. He got to spend more time with Akashi, and the bluenette wouldn't trade that for anything.

Subtly glancing to his side, he saw that the red-head was watching him, a small smile on his face. Quickly averting his gaze, Kuroko attempted to keep the red off his cheeks. Oh boy…If he blushed just by seeing Akashi smiling at him…well he was totally screwed. The bluenette was 110% head over heels, and he knew that Akashi knew that he was.

Suddenly, the red-head pulled Kuroko into a small alley in between two stores and pinned him against the wall. Eyes widening, the bluenette could see the lust in Akashi's crimson and gold orbs as plain as day. Shivering slightly, Kuroko's breathing increased.

"Princess, if you keep looking so cute, I won't be able to hold back…" Akashi's breath ghosted against the bluenette's neck, sending another round of shivers down his spine. The red-head knew how his voice affected Kuroko, and he used it to his advantage. Kuroko couldn't keep his eyes from falling shut, his lips parted slightly.

He could hear Akashi try to contain his gleeful chuckle, but he didn't care right now. All he wanted was for the red-head to kiss him senseless, and if he didn't do it soon, Kuroko would do something about that himself.

"If you close your eyes like that, I'll think you're begging." The red-head once again whispered into his ear, increasing the bluenette's frustration.

Growling softly, his eyes snapped open. Pulling Akashi closer by his shirt collar, Kuroko glared up at his boyfriend. "If you don't kiss me right now, Akashi Seijuurou, you will surely regret it." The bluenette absolutely refused to give in first, and so he tried a sure way to get the red-head to kiss him; tempting him.

With the close proximity and all, Kuroko could feel Akashi's breath quicken, and it gave him immense satisfaction. Just knowing that he could affect him this way, when nobody else could…well it sure stroked one's ego. Kuroko didn't have to wait much longer before he was slammed back against the wall and their lips were connected in a heated embrace. The bluenette _really_ liked kissing Akashi, especially since he was so good. Kuroko was even surprised to learn that he had, in fact, been Akashi's first kiss. When the bluenette heard this tid-bit of information, he was beyond stupefied, but even more than that, he was happy. It was just another part of the red-head that would only be _his_.

Akashi slowly worked Kuroko's mouth open, giving him a chance to back out despite just wanting to ravish the bluenette. Just as the red-head's tongue was about to enter Kuroko's mouth, the two heard a deep voice from the entrance of the alley.

"Oi, Kuroko! Is that you?" A deep, gruff voice called, startling the couple.

Hastily jumping away from the bluenette, Akashi directed his attention to the boy who called out to them. It was none other than Kagami Taiga, an ever-present thorn in Akashi's side. Narrowing his eyes, the red-head carefully sized the taller boy up as he stepped away from Kuroko.

Also turning his attention to the bigger red-head, the bluenette kept his face expressionless, even though his heart nearly clawed its way out of his throat. "Kagami-kun, what are you doing here?" He questioned, hoping his voice came out steady.

"I'm on my way to school. My house is in this area, but why are you here?" Kagami parried, finally glancing at Akashi. "And with _him_ for that matter."

Stealing a glance at Akashi, Kuroko quickly spun together a cover story. Thankfully, it didn't seem like Kagami saw them kissing, which was a blessing. "Well, I ran into Akashi-kun on my way to school. He said he had business at Seirin, so we decided to walk together." Hoping his explanation was enough, the bluenette silently prayed that his current light wouldn't ask any more questions.

"I see…Well, we'll be late if we keep standing here talking! Let's go!" Jogging off, Kagami waved at Akashi and Kuroko to follow.

Exchanging a glance with the red-head, the bluenette internally thanked every god he knew that his friend was a dense, idiot. Making sure Kagami wasn't looking, Kuroko quickly pecked Akashi on the cheek before walking after his teammate. He didn't even turn around to see as the scarlet blush bloomed on his boyfriend's face.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:**

 **Just a little fluff before things start getting serious again! As always, hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think! :)**

The trio arrived at school just in time, with Akashi and Kuroko slipping into class right as the bell rang, indicating that the day has begun. Kagami, unfortunately, was a second too slow, and he was scolded by the teacher. After being humiliated in front of the class, the taller red-head took his seat grumbling about something unintelligible. Akashi was casually leaning on Kuroko's desk, receiving quite a few amorous glances. Honestly, it irked the bluenette greatly, and all he wanted was to pull the red-head down and kiss him senseless; showing everyone that Akashi was his. Regrettably, Kuroko was a firm believer in TPO – especially when their relationship was supposed to be under wraps – so he just settled for subtle glares that probably wouldn't be acknowledged anyway.

The red-head himself was well aware of the gazes, but he couldn't care less. What he did care about, though, was the irritation that struggled for dominance on Kuroko's face. It was probably one of the cutest things Akashi had seen, especially when the bluenette threw a scowl at the group of girls giggling in the back of the classroom. Witnessing a jealous Kuroko was beyond the red-head's imagination, but Akashi was slightly concerned that this may turn into some kind of weird fetish. He knew he probably shouldn't poke the bear, but Akashi wanted to have some fun.

Tilting his head casually to the side, the red-head gently raked his fingers through his hair, an elegant smile forming on his perfect lips. The squeals rose a few decibels in volume, much like the frustration on the bluenette's beautiful face. Akashi could barely contain the chuckle as Kuroko punched his arm, sending one of those icy glares his way. The red-head decided to stop now, lest he want his little bluenette to give him the cold shoulder.

Finally deciding that Akashi was too distracting for him to teach the lesson properly, the teacher asked the red-head to leave. A round of "aws" silently coursed through the room, and Kuroko's now monotonous faced twitched in disappointment. While he did complain about Akashi attending school with him, that was only one side of the coin. Kuroko thought they'd finally be able to go to school together again – even if only for a little while.

Reluctantly agreeing, Akashi discreetly brushed his fingers against Kuroko's hand, communicating his message with his eyes.

 _"_ _Meet me after your class is over…"_

Directing a small nod at his boyfriend, the bluenette was finally able to concentrate on the lesson. Although he'd loathe to admit, Kuroko was secretly one of the one's mooning over the red-head – I mean, who wouldn't?

…..

After being kicked out of the classroom, Akashi decided to give himself a tour of the school. Not really knowing the way around, he somehow ended up in the courtyard, where he decided to take a rest. It was actually rather beautiful out here, although it couldn't even compare with Rakuzan. They had professional landscapers manage the upkeep of the trees and courtyard, so it was only to be expected. If the red-head was remembering correctly, Kuroko mentioned some time ago that it was the third-year's project last year to design the courtyard. Though it was crude in execution, Akashi had to appreciate the work that went into it. Leaning back against a tree, the red-head closed his eyes.

There was a nice breeze in the air today, and the temperature wasn't too hot or too cold. Even if he risked sounding like Goldie Locks, everything was just right. From the surprisingly soft grass beneath him to the swaying branches and bright to blue sky above him that reminded Akashi of his beloved bluenette.

Releasing a content sigh, the red-head drifted off into the land of dreams.

…..

Class seemed to last forever, and Kuroko was just itching to leave. He was slightly worried about Akashi wandering around by himself, but even more so thinking about what might happen. The red-head could potentially run into Kuroko's other teammates, and that wouldn't be good. Without the bluenette present, Akashi definitely wouldn't pull any punches. Besides, he was slightly jealous thinking about all the girls pining after _his_ man.

Kuroko was antsy, nearing knocking over several of his classmates as he rushed out of the room once the bell _finally_ sounded. Jogging through the hallway, the bluenette's head was on a swivel. Where the hell did Akashi go? Wasn't he the one who wanted to come to school with him? An annoyed sigh practically fell from Kuroko's lips, that is, until he heard the barely constrained giggles resounding throughout the courtyard.

 _'_ _Oh Lord, not again…'_

Internally rolling his eyes, Kuroko made his way towards the squeals, finding a large group of girls surrounding a cherry blossom tree. The bluenette could hear the clicks of the camera phones, and he grew more and more frustrated. This was really grating on his nerves – Akashi was _his_ and his _alone_. He wasn't some piece of art to be ogled at – okay, so maybe he _was,_ but he was Kuroko's piece of art, and he'd be damned to let some _girls_ check out _his man._

Roughly pushing through the group, Kuroko could've sworn he was going to be squished to death. Luckily, he was safely deposited right in front of Akashi, although he did stumble to his knees. Crawling over to the sleeping red-head, Kuroko shook him gently, trying his best to ignore the death glares cutting into his skin.

Just as Akashi began to stir, one of the bigger girls came over and shoved Kuroko to the side and another dragged him around the corner of the building. He was soon surrounded by several angry – and crazy – teenage girls. Irritation once again flashed through the bluenette's body, but he attempted to tamp it down. Rolling onto his butt, Kuroko stared blankly up at the girls.

"Leave Akashi-sama alone you nobody!" Shouted one of the girls. The others all nodded in agreement.

Cocking an eyebrow, Kuroko addressed what seemed like their "leader". "How do you even know Akashi-kun's name?" He questioned, trying so hard not to laugh in their faces. Come on, Akashi-sama? Kuroko was soo using that one from now on.

One moment Kuroko was staring up at these crazies, and the next he was eating a mouth full of dirt. Coughing, the bluenette spit several times as he tried to get all the sand out of his mouth.

"What the hell-"

The head bitch cut him off with a kick to his right leg. "You have no right to say his name!"

A brunette standing behind the head bitch scoffed as she flipped her long hair over her shoulder. "If you must know, you nuisance, we are Akashi-sama's fan club."

Scowling at the girls through his lashes, Kuroko continued to wipe the dirt out of his mouth, though a few new thoughts ran through his mind. _'So he even has a fan club here, huh…'_

Another kick was directed at his left arm, but this time he dodged it. Glaring up at the crazy bitches, Kuroko tried soo _hard_ not to roll his eyes. Trust him, he did. Unfortunately, his blue orbs had a mind of their own and rolled like a wheel on a hill. The bluenette just couldn't believe how much like a manga this was, it was almost laughable.

"Do you think this is a joke, you pipsqueak?"

"Ha, pipsqueak? What kind of insult is that? Are you a grade schooler or something?" Kuroko had to quickly clamp his mouth shut, but he couldn't stop the words from spewing out of his lips. He was a sarcastic person by nature, but his snark would most certainly _not_ help him in this situation. In fact, it'd probably get him clobbered by a few dozen deranged teenage girls.

"Ughhh! You are _so_ dead!" The girls were absolutely infuriated, and all the bluenette could do was curl into a ball and protect his head as they kicked at his body. He wasn't exactly the fighter type, and besides, what kind of man would he be to hit women just because he was annoyed?

The bluenette closed his eyes tightly and waited for the next blow to come. He waited for what seemed like an eternity, but nothing ever came. Cautiously lowering his arms, Kuroko was rather surprised to find and absolutely _outraged_ Akashi poised in front of him, pure fury radiating off of him in waves.

…..

When Akashi awoke, it was to the sound of shrill, high-pitched voices. The red-head figured some girls got into a fight, and so he thought nothing else of it. Pulling out his phone, he discovered he had been sleeping for a good hour.

 _'_ _Tetsuya's class is probably over…I should go find him.'_

Standing up, Akashi brushed the dirt off his uniform and threaded his fingers through his hair. Shooting a text to Kuroko, Akashi couldn't help but roll his eyes once the voices got louder. The student council president in him couldn't just ignore this predicament, and so he followed the rising sound. Bounding around the corner of the building, Akashi found a large group of girls standing over what appeared to be a figure sitting on the ground.

The red-head let out a soft sigh and was about to call out to the students, that is, before he heard the boy on the ground speak.

 _"_ _Ha, pipsqueak? What kind of insult is that? Are you a grade schooler or something?"_

The voice was bitingly sarcastic, but it was a tone Akashi knew quite well. The red-head's heart nearly dropped from his chest when he caught a glimpse of blue as the lead girl kicked him in the side. As quickly as the dread filled his body, fury rushed through his veins.

Moving in the blink of an eye, Akashi was in front of his boyfriend, shooting daggers at the girls before him. He swore to everything holy and good that if he wasn't Akashi Seijuurou – heir to a _super big_ company – he would murder these bratty school kids.

Opening his mouth, his words were laced in poison and ire chipped at his dangerously calm demeanor. "If you don't leave in the next five seconds, so help me I will _destroy all of you._ " The red-head stated this like he was commenting on the nice weather, but it didn't lessen the impact of his words. The girls quickly scampered away, apologizing as they ran around the building, nearly tripping over one another. Akashi was positively seething, and he had to take a moment to compose himself before he turned back towards Kuroko.

The bluenette carefully regarded his boyfriend. He was obviously furious, and Kuroko didn't know if he should speak or not. Pushing himself off the ground – careful not to make any sounds indicating he was in pain – Kuroko cautiously sidled up to his boyfriend.

Touching his shoulder ever so slightly, the bluenette spoke in a soft voice. "Akashi-kun…? I'm fine, okay?" Leaning forward, Kuroko peered into his boyfriend's face.

The next thing he knew, he was pressed up against the brick wall as he was smothered into the red-head's chest. Akashi's voice was barely a whisper as he spoke into Kuroko's ear. "Oh Tetsuya, please don't ever scare me like that again. I don't ever want to find you surrounded like that, especially if you're being hit…"

Kuroko could feel Akashi's lips press against his pulse, and his eyes gently fell shut. He knew they were at school, but if he didn't get the red-head to calm down – and do it quickly – there would be hell to pay. Wrapping his arms around Akashi's broad back, the bluenette turned his head to the side to place a little kiss on his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Akashi-kun. I'm fine, I promise…Okay?"

As the late bell rang for the next period, Kuroko couldn't bring himself to pull away from the red-head's embrace…

…..

The rest of the school day was uneventful. Kuroko and Akashi ate lunch together on the roof, and the red-head didn't run into any of the bluenette's teammates. In fact, he didn't come into contact with anyone. After the fangirl encounter, Kuroko thought it would be best if the red-head just stayed on the roof – to which the latter unwillingly complied. Once Kuroko finished all his classes, he met up with Akashi and they began to make their way to the gym. Yes, it was finally time for afternoon practice, and the red-head adamantly refused to wait outside.

So here they were, standing in front of the large metal doors, Kuroko twitchier than a Mexican jumping bean. He knew that Akashi could talk his way out of any situation – and he wasn't so bad himself – but that did nothing to abate his worry. The bluenette had a feeling that Akashi didn't understand just how nosy his team was, but Kuroko figured his boyfriend was soon to find out.

The bluenette nearly jumped out of his shoes when the red-head touched him gently on the arm, and was soon irritated seeing the latter trying to hold back his laughter.

"Relax, Tetsuya. It will be fine."

The easy-going smile on Akashi's face did give Kuroko a small boost of confidence, but it wasn't much. "Alright, let's do this."

Clapping his hands against his face, Kuroko threw open the doors to the gym and paraded in with his head held high. Maybe his team would think nothing of it, and consider it normal compared to their peculiar lives? _'Ha, fat chance…'_

The couple had made to all the way to the locker room without being noticed, but unfortunately ran straight into Hyuuga when they opened the door. Cursing under his breath, Kuroko greeted his sempai.

"Good afternoon, Hyuuga-sempai." He stated monotonously, trying to keep his thoughts off his face. Akashi, the little shit, pasted on a large smile and greeted the older teen, the smirk even present in his voice.

The tall brunette stood frozen in place, mouth gaping open like a fish. To be completely honest, Kuroko sort of found the situation to be funny, especially when Akashi asked if it would be alright for him to participate in practice. The poor boy practically turned to stone when the red-head brushed by him into the locker room. Attempting to keep the smirk off his face, Kuroko bowed slightly to his captain, and followed his boyfriend to get dressed.

…..

The whole Seirin basketball team stood dumbstruck – most of them half way through changing – as they watched the interaction between Kuroko and the captain of Rakuzan. The fact that the red-head was currently in the locker room was shocking by itself, but just the way the two looked and talked to each other had everyone stopping and thinking.

Nudging Hyuuga, Izuki whispered to no one in particular. "Don't they…look kind of suspicious to you?" He questioned, causing everyone to glance over at the pair.

Akashi was standing right beside Kuroko – shirtless, I might add. While it wasn't very noticeable, there was a small tinge of red on the bluenette's cheeks as he handed the other boy a shirt. Their voices were hushed, so the group didn't know what they were saying, but there was a certain…aura around them that had sirens going off in the other boys' minds.

"While I do admit that it is weird that Akashi-kun is here, that doesn't excuse the lot of you for being late to practice." Riko's voice popped up behind the group, not causing Kagami to let out a very girly scream or anything – definitely not…

Snapping out of their thoughts, the team finally noticed that Akashi and Kuroko were no longer in the locker room, but instead out in the gym already practicing. Their very angry coach looked about ready to kill them all, so they quickly finished changing and ran out of the room before they made the whole situation worse.

…..

Kuroko could feel his teammate's eyes on him the whole practice, but he surprisingly didn't care. He was just happy that he got to play basketball with Akashi again – the red-head made everything more fun. The best part of it was that during the scrimmage, they got to be on the same team – needless to say that they absolutely crushed their opponents, but that's not the point.

They hadn't played together for a few months at the very least, but their combinations were great. They could even tell what the other wanted just by looking at their eyes, so they didn't need signals. Seirin was beyond shocked to see Akashi showing a genuine smile, but even more so to see one on their little phantom's lips.

Observing from the sidelines with a whistle in her mouth, Riko's eyes narrowed. _'There is definitely something suspicious about them, but I can't quite put my finger on it.'_

The rest of the team had similar thoughts – excluding Kagami. The big oaf wouldn't be able to take a hint even if it came up and slapped him in the face!


	24. Chapter 24

In the end, practice that day had to be canceled because everyone was too focused on Akashi and Kuroko; excluding Kagami, of course. They all had their own suspicions, though none had any evidence to back up their assumptions. Riko eventually grew tired of making up new threats, so she canceled the rest of practice before storming out in a rather foul mood. Hyuuga had hurriedly rushed out after the brunette, leaving the rest of the team to gossip as Akashi and Kuroko headed into the locker room to get changed.

"So? So? Does anyone else get a weird… _feeling_ when looking at those two?" Koganei chimed, bouncing around the slumber party gossip circle as Mitobe nodded his head in agreement.

Izuki stroked his chin, contemplating Koganei's question. Akashi and Kuroko were without a doubt suspicious, but maybe it only seemed so because it was Akashi…and _Kuroko._ Maybe everyone only found their interactions to be weird because Kuroko hardly ever expressed any emotions, even with Kagami.

The other first years stood off to the side with Kagami. Bakagami couldn't comprehend the whole conversation, while the others merely wanted no part of the gossip. They didn't believe in following assumptions without facts; besides, rumors may begin to spread if they weren't careful, and that wouldn't be good.

As everyone processed their own thoughts and opinions of the situation, Akashi and Kuroko were already walking out. Being far from dense, both knew what was going through Seirin's mind, but making up excuses would only seem more suspicious. The couple decided to let sleeping dogs lie and quietly slipped out through the gym doors to avoid any unwanted questions.

…..

The walk home was rather quiet. Their day had been rather… _eventful_ to say the least. Things just didn't seem to be going their way lately.

Glancing out the corner of his eye, Kuroko studied his boyfriend's face. Although he had been rather animated during basketball practice, the red-head was now wearing the same expression he had been ever since his fan club had "attacked" the bluenette. Kuroko was worried that he was still angry, but he couldn't even begin to fathom what Akashi was thinking. Many people had told Kuroko that _he_ was hard to read, but the bluenette believed that Akashi was even more so.

After all, the red-head has been practicing hiding his emotions for a very long time. Probably ever since his mother died. With his hard-ass, straight-laced, unaccepting, _cruel_ dad – not to even mention all the fake, kiss-ass adults he encountered regularly – Akashi had learned from a young age to bury his thoughts and feelings. Kuroko's heart ached just thinking about a young Akashi learning to keep a poker face. It was truly saddening that a child would ever feel the need to keep his emotions from his parents.

The bluenette didn't notice, but Akashi had been staring at him as well. Truth be told, the red-head himself was worried too. He knew how badly Kuroko wanted to expose their relationship to his friends, but couldn't because he worried about how it would affect Akashi's reputation. The little bluenette's thoughtfulness was one of the things the red-head loved about him, but it did become a cause for worry at times.

Kuroko just loved to keep everything to himself, and his natural expressionless face did nothing to amend the problem. Akashi wanted the bluenette to be more open, but he knew that that would be asking a lot. Kuroko had always been an independent creature; faced all his challenges alone, even the ones _Akashi_ presented to him.

Since both the red-head and bluenette were lost in their own thoughts, they did not notice Kise skulking behind them.

"Kurokocchi!"

Kuroko was suddenly thrown forward, an uncomfortable weight weighing on his back. He probably would've painfully face-planted had Akashi not caught his arm quickly enough and pulled him out of his would-be hazardous fall.

When the bluenette's body was no longer in front of him, Kise stumbled forward, arms flailing wildly in the air. A loud thump resonated around as the blonde plummeted to the Earth, thanks to his old friend Gravity.

"Ooowwwwowowww…" He groaned, carefully nursing his throbbing jaw, not noticing the threatening aura radiating off his former captain.

With how their day had been going, Kuroko knew that Akashi would not be able to spare Kise. Even though the blonde could be exceedingly obnoxious, the bluenette didn't necessarily wish to see him die. Linking his arm securely with Akashi's, Kuroko afforded one last glance in Kise's direction, offering him a word of advice.

"Sorry, Kise-kun, but Akashi-kun is not in a good mood. Oh, and a word to the wise, it would probably be wiser to announce your presence rather than mercilessly tackling people from behind." Throwing the words over his shoulder, Kuroko quickly dragged his fuming boyfriend home.

…..

Kuroko was absolutely exhausted when they finally reached home. Between basically _dragging_ Akashi home and then also keeping the red-head from mauling any unfortunate soul who so happened to stray into their path, the bluenette had no energy left. Every last drop that was left seemed to seep out when his butt connected with the couch. A heavy, drawn-out sigh parted Kuroko's lips as he collapsed onto his side, cheek sticking uncomfortably to the leather sofa.

"Haaahhh…"

Stuffing his face with pizza, Aomine strolled into the living room. The taller bluenette approached the couch, plopping down as he grabbed the TV remote.

"Arrghh…"

"What the fuck?!" Apparently not noticing his former shadow, Aomine immediately jumped back up, relieving the bluenette from a literal weight on his shoulders.

Kuroko groaned in pain, the bruises he received earlier making themselves known. Unfortunately, Akashi happened to walk into the room right as the bluenette let out the choked cry of pain. He was beside Kuroko in an instant, a worried expression crossing his face.

"Tetsuya, are you okay?!"

Wanting to assure Akashi that he was find, Kuroko hurriedly sat up. Sadly, he couldn't hide the grimace that tightened his features.

"Hnngh…"

Akashi's face immediately darkened as he turned to face Aomine, who saw tiny devil horns protruding from his blood red hair.

The tanned teen grimaced as well, though for a completely different reason than Kuroko. "Listen, Akashi…" He attempted to placate the red-headed demon, his hands held out in front of him in a universal "calm down" gesture.

"I didn't do it on purpose, man! I didn't know Tetsu was right there! You know how he is, you can barely tell he's there!" Aomine was only digging his grave deeper as Akashi grew exceedingly irritated. Kuroko on the other hand, was growing worried. Perhaps the red-head was thinking that Aomine had hurt him, but in reality, it was from the crazy girls from earlier. The bluenette was rather reluctant to inform Akashi of this, but it would be unfair to Aomine if he didn't. It wouldn't be right to have the red-head's wrath directed at someone who didn't deserve it – although the tanned boy _did_ sit on him…

"Akashi-kun…" Kuroko began, lightly placing a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. With the red-head's attention now solely focused on the bluenette, he continued with his confession.

"It's not Aomine-kun's fault-"

"-That's right!"

"Shut up, Ahomine-kun."

"Hey!"

Akashi didn't look entertained by their little banter, heterochromatic eyes only urging the bluenette to continue.

"As I was saying," Dipping his head slightly, Kuroko averted his eyes as he continued. "It's not Aomine-kun's fault that I'm hurt."

Gingerly chewing on his bottom lip, the bluenette had to pry the rest of the words out of his mouth. Akashi was pissed enough already, and this would only be fanning the flames.

"It's because of those crazy fangirls from earlier…" Briefly glancing at Akashi, Kuroko quickly dropped his eyes again. He could feel the fury radiating off of his boyfriend, and the expression he was making wasn't very pleasant.

The silence that followed only served to raise the tension – so much so that it was nearly palpable. Aomine himself seemed to have frozen in place, possibly believing that if he didn't move, perhaps Akashi wouldn't see him.

Only after several distressing minutes crawled by did the red-head finally seize Kuroko's arm, hauling him off the couch. Despite the anger that obviously afflicted Akashi, his touch on Kuroko's arm was gentle, though the glare that he threw back at Aomine was nothing less than daunting.

Leaving their old teammate's statue in the living room, Akashi carefully dragged Kuroko to the taller bluenette's room. Once the door was shut and locked, the red-head returned his attention to his lover, who was cautiously situated on the edge of the queen-sized bed.

Stalking up to the bluenette, Akashi stared down at the former, no emotions betraying his blank face. From the fire in his eyes, the turmoil raging behind them was obvious, but Kuroko couldn't form any words.

"Akashi-kun?" He questioned quietly, tilting his head to the side. Maybe it wasn't so great of an idea, because the bruises that marred his body were finally becoming visible, one even creeping out from beneath his collar.

"Strip."

The command was short and simple, but it still left Kuroko stupefied. Awkward laughter bubbled up from deep within his throat as he slightly shook his head and raised a thin, blue eyebrow.

"Uhmm, excuse me?"

The bluenette knew he probably sounded stupid, and he possibly ticked his boyfriend off further, but he was utterly confused by Akashi's command. Like, what?

"I said, off with the shirt. Show me."

Akashi's tone was less than pleasing, and Kuroko himself was becoming a little irked. Strip? Yeah-freaking-right. The bluenette loved the red-head with everything he had, but he was still self-conscious – especially since Akashi was like a god. Have you seen that boy's body? Dayuumm…

"I'm sorry, but I won't do that, Akashi-kun."

Even in middle school, Akashi had never seen Kuroko's body directly. The bluenette was always the first one in the locker room before practice and the last one out afterwards. Back then Kuroko had already been conscious of Akashi, and it's probably where his insecurities began…

The groove between the red-head's eyebrows became deeper and his frown more pronounced. Placing a gentle hand on Kuroko's cheek, Akashi looked deep into those pools of crystal blue.

"Tetsuya, love… _Please…_ " The bluenette's face softened at the despondent expression that now adorned Akashi's features. It was obvious that he wasn't asking – or _demanding_ – for anything sexual, but Kuroko was insecure nonetheless. Akashi was so completely perfect…He was elegant and gentlemanly and graceful and stylish and refined and dignified and Kuroko… _Kuroko_ was so _plain._ There was nothing remarkable about an invisible guy like him. His grades were just barely above average, and his athleticism was average _at best_. Akashi was everything he wasn't, and that scared him.

Kuroko knew that Akashi loved him _now_ , but what about when he finally sees the bluenette for what he is? An invisible nobody who has turned his life upside down – and not for the better either…

As Kuroko dug himself deeper in his own thoughts, he averted his gaze away from Akashi's. The red-head would surely figure out his thoughts, and he didn't want that. He didn't want to burden Akashi with his childish insecurities.

Sensing the bluenette's own inner turmoil, the red-head gently grabbed the former's chin, forcing his gaze back up.

"Tetsuya, love…Please tell me what's wrong. Do you not trust me? I won't do anything to you…" There was a hint of pain in Akashi's tone, and Kuroko instantly felt like shit. He was making the red-head worry about such things.

"No! I trust you, Akashi-kun! It's just…" The bluenette trailed off as his voice cracked. When he woke up this morning, he didn't expect his day to be such an emotional rollercoaster, but hey, shit happens…

"It's what, my love?"

Sighing, Kuroko turned his eyes away from the red-head once more.

"Akashi-kun, you're so perfect. You're handsome and you're good at everything you do, studies and sports alike. Even if some people are afraid of you, everyone respects you so much…You're so amazing, but I'm…I-I…I'm just _me…_ "

Kuroko's face flushed in shame as he hugged himself, face once again facing the floor. How could he be so childish? He sounded like some crazy girlfriend who always needed her boyfriend to shower her with compliments.

After a few moments of silence, two strong, firm arms encircled the deflated bluenette. Letting out a gasp in shock, Akashi's voice was suddenly beside his ear, breath ghosting on the shell.

"Never… _Never_ say that again. Don't you _dare…_ " The emotion in the red-head's voice was nearly tangible, and it carried a certain weight that penetrated deep within Kuroko's heart.

"You, my love, have no idea of your own worth. You are kind and sweet and gentle and loving and compassionate and considerate and so much more than I deserve. You have always been the only star in my sky, the only light that I will ever follow…" Pausing, he took a deep, shaky breath.

"You, my love, are everything that I could ever hope to be. Despite everything that I have put you through, you have chosen to remain here, in my arms, and you will never know how blessed and _honored_ I am that you are. That you could put up with me and all my bullshit…" Pulling away, Akashi laid his head on Kuroko's, eyes slightly glossy and a smile on his perfect lips.

"Tetsuya, you will never know how deep my love for you runs…There is absolutely _nothing_ and _no one_ that I could ever love more, because you are my little sunshine; you complete me."

Tears steadily streamed down Kuroko's cheeks, even as he rapidly blinked. Akashi had no idea, but he meant the world to the bluenette. He made him feel completely loved and needed, which was something new to Kuroko.

Thumbing away the tears, the red-head cupped the bluenette's face in his hands. Planting a fleeting kiss on his lips, Akashi's smile was absolutely breathtaking.

"Please don't ever put yourself down again, Tetsuya. I love you – more than you'll ever know…"

Kuroko rapidly nodded his head, still trying to stop the tears. He just felt so full and content and…he didn't know, but he couldn't stop. Despite crying, a small smile of his own graced the bluenette's supple lips.

"Yes, of course…Akashi- _sama_ …"

Akashi immediately deadpanned, and Kuroko's grin grew a few degrees brighter…

…..

The next day, Akashi and Kuroko made it through school without any major disturbances. Kuroko himself was actually very bouncy and airy all day, though only Akashi noticed. The bluenette's expression may not have changed, but his demeanor did, and the red-head enjoyed it very much.

School had long since ended, and they were about half-way through practice. Riko had managed to come up with a threat that effectively scared the team into submission, allowing the girl to run practice smoothly. Akashi was currently deep in discussion with the brunette, giving the older girl a few "pointers" on how she should handle practices and any discord within the team. By the tight expression on her face, she was barely restraining herself from whacking the red-head in the head with the rolled-up newspaper in her hand. She, herself, was relatively afraid of the demon, so she managed to contain her temper.

Kuroko was off to the side taking a break when one of the first years approached him, informing the bluenette that someone was looking for him. Confused, he went to the designated location, wondering who possibly could be looking for him. As far as Kuroko knew, his parents were getting wasted somewhere and he didn't have any other relatives…Perhaps those crazy fangirls were looking for him again? Oh, he hoped not. That would be a _huge_ pain in the ass.

Reaching the gate near the back of the school, Kuroko glanced around curiously. No one seemed to be here. Weird…

"Excuse me…Is anybody there? I was told that someone wanted to see-"

 _*Thump*_

"…"

…..

When Riko finally had enough of Akashi's "advice", the red-head returned to the court. Glancing around, his eyes couldn't seem to spot the bluenette. Cocking his head to the side, he wandered over to the locker room.

Opening the door, he called out. "Tetsuya? Are you in there?"

When no response came, he walked back towards the court. Everyone else was taking a break, sitting by the stage and rehydrating their bodies. Approaching Kagami, Akashi crossed his arms over his chest.

"Taiga, have you seen Tetsuya?"

Kagami was obviously irritated, given how low his split eyebrows now sat on his face. When he processed the question, however, the taller red-head began glancing around the gym.

Scratching his head, Kagami had a perplexed expression on his face. "Uhhh…Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Kuroko for a while now…"

Hearing this, Akashi had a sinking feeling deep within his stomach. Not wanting to be pessimistic, he asked the others. His feeling only continued to worsen as more people answered. Truth be told, he was actually beginning to freak out.

When he finally got to the last person, a first year, he got the news he was dreading the most.

"Actually, a while ago a man came and asked to speak to Kuroko-kun. He didn't seem crazy, so I thought everything was fine."

Akashi had a hard time swallowing around the lump in his throat, but he kept both his face and voice calm and composed.

"What did this man look like?"

Cocking his head to the side, the first year recalled the man he saw.

"Well…He was rather tall…"

The fierce look the boy received from Akashi had him blanching, but he continued.

"Uhh…Uhmm…He uhm…Also had really red hair…Actually, he kind of looked like you, Akashi-san…"


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:**

 **I'm sorry that the update is so late, I've been reaallly busy! Well, its only a few days late, but still, I apologize. This chapter also isn't as long as others, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. As always, please let me know what you think! :)**

 **(Oh, and P.S. I don't know when the next update will be, since Christmas is coming up and all. I will try my best to stick to the deadline, but I will make no promises! If I don't, I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, a great Kwanzaa, and a happy New Year!)**

All the blood rushed from Akashi's face as the words slowly played on repeat throughout his mind.

 _'_ _A man…with red hair…that looks like me?'_

Akashi wished that those words didn't strike a cord in him. He wished so dearly that he didn't immediately know who that man was, or why he had taken Kuroko. The fact that he was so jaded that it was his own _father_ who instantly appeared in his mind's eye crushed the red-head. It was a horrible feeling to know that the person he loved with all his heart was probably suffering at the hand of the man who assisted in his creation.

How would he ever look Kuroko in the eye again; that is, if he even could?

All the voices that had been invading his ears were now drowned out and muffled as he stood perfectly motionless. How could this have happened? Wasn't Akashi accompanying the bluenette to school for this exact reason? How useless could he be if he couldn't even protect his own boyfriend? This makes it twice now that Akashi has failed to keep Kuroko safe, and the feeling wasn't pleasant.

"…!"

"OI!"

Startled out of his stupor, Akashi turned to face an annoyed and confused Kagami. Since the red-head was lost in his own self-pity, he must not have heard what the taller boy had been saying. Realizing that not only had he just spaced out in front of the whole Seirin basketball team, but he was also fretting and pitying himself rather than jumping into action. Akashi was ashamed that he had let himself be shaken so easily. If he already knew who had Kuroko, then wouldn't it be easier to get him back?

"Hey! Are you even listening to me?" A loud voice sounded next to Akashi's ear, only increasing the ire that was steadily rising within him.

Sporting an icy glare that would rival his Tetsuya's very own, the red-head hissed out a reply. "What is it, Taiga?"

Akashi's expression probably caused the taller boy to falter, but he still bit out what it was he was trying to say.

"Geez, what climbed up your ass? What's your problem? You were spaced out like some doll or something, it was creepy."

While there was a hint of concern laced in Kagami's tone, Akashi was not pleased. "It would be mindful of you to watch your vulgar tongue around me, Kagami Taiga. Your concern, while not unappreciated, is unnecessary. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going."

Leaving the stumped red-head in his wake, Akashi quickly entered the locker room and changed back into his uniform. His heart momentarily clenched at the sight of Kuroko's clothes and bag, but he couldn't let himself be bothered too much. If he ever wanted to get his Tetsuya back, he'd have to be calm, cool, and calculating – his father would expect nothing less.

…..

When Kuroko finally came to, he discovered that he was robbed of his vision. By the feeling and pressure on his head and face, the bluenette hazarded a guess that a cloth had been tied around his eyes. To be completely and utterly honest, it was totally infuriating! Kuroko was far from stupid, so it wasn't hard to fathom who it was who had, well… _kidnapped_ him.

Besides the glaring fact that he was indeed kidnapped from school in broad daylight during practice, Kuroko was vexed that he was actually knocked out; and just to rub salt in his wounds, the bastard hadn't even been considerate enough to use chloroform or anything! The jackass had actually smacked the bluenette in the back of the head with who knows what, and was the reason that Kuroko literally had a _splitting_ headache. He could feel a warm liquid seeping out of his torn skin, and the wound was currently drumming a major beat.

While it was irritating that he had been snatched in the middle of the day, Kuroko was especially irked that it happened so easily! To think that he hadn't even managed a fight, well that sure afflicted his mind…

So, here he was, blinded and disorientated after being kidnapped in _broad-fucking-daylight!_ Like, seriously. Absolutely nobody noticed his limp body being stuffed into a trunk or something? Was this a TV show? It was ridiculous…

"Haaahh…"

Sighing, Kuroko became slightly depressed. He wasn't so much worried for his safety as he was for Akashi. The bluenette knew that this would be beyond a difficult situation for him, especially considering that this involved his father. Kuroko couldn't even imagine what it would be like if his father kidnapped his lover…partly because he knew his own father didn't give enough shits about him to pull a stunt like this…

Anyway, point was, Kuroko's heart truly went out to Akashi. Now just because the bluenette wasn't as concerned for his safety as he was worried about the red-head didn't mean Kuroko was completely comfortable in this situation. To begin with, the bluenette was never a huge fan of Akashi Masaomi, and after he was caught in Akashi's bed – you know, with _Akashi_ – it was safe to say that their next encounter would be equally or even more unpleasant. Besides the older Akashi being a 100% purebred tight-wad hard-ass, he was also very closed-minded and unaccepting, especially with things concerning the younger red-head. For some reason, ever since Akashi Shiori died, Masaomi had been increasingly anal and pigheaded about everything Seijuurou did. Nothing was ever good enough. An A should be an A+ and a 100-20 win should be a 100-0 win. Perfect scores on tests were only to be expected, and becoming the youngest student council president was already a foreseen event.

Deep down – _very_ deep down – there was a part of Kuroko that was jealous of Akashi. No matter what Masaomi said or did, the fact still stood that he cared about Seijuurou. Even if most of the time he was a complete asshole who never accepted anything Akashi did, at least he _looked_ at him. He acknowledged his presence and deemed him acceptable enough to name the younger red-head his successor to his multi- _billion-_ dollar company.

So, yes, Akashi Masaomi was a huge dick with a superiority complex that needed to be knocked down _several_ pegs, but at least he accepted Akashi as his son. Kuroko, on the other hand, was even lower on the totem pole than a fly in his parent's eyes. To them, he was just consuming valuable oxygen and didn't even deserve to have food in his stomach.

Although the bluenette knew it was horrible of him, that ugly, jealous feeling was still present in the recesses of his mind. He knew Akashi's situation was far from pleasant, but Kuroko couldn't help it, and he felt like shit for it. Perhaps he had a complex he never knew about as well…

"Haaaahhhh…"

Another heavy sigh fell from his lips as he derailed that train of thought. Akashi probably felt a thousand times worse than he did right now, so there was no reason for this pity-party. Kuroko did say he wanted to stop being so weak, right? So, wasn't now the time to be strong, when Akashi wasn't here to protect him?

 _'_ _I can do it…I'll definitely escape and get back to Akashi-kun…'_

As Kuroko began his inner dialogue, his ears perked up at the creak of a metal door. The bluenette immediately slowed his breathing to feign unconsciousness, though he knew that if this person was who he thought it was then he would instantly be found out. Kuroko Tetsuya was far from stupid, but so was Akashi Masaomi. Even though the bluenette didn't care much for the older red-head, it was shocking how similar the two Akashis were. Masaomi was basically an aged Seijuurou, besides the fact that he was an asshole; oh, and the fact that Kuroko was head over heels in love with Seijuurou. Other than that, the differences between the two red-heads were very slight.

"You are fooling no one, Kuroko-kun."

The steely, cool voice that suddenly penetrated the silence was not surprising, and the bluenette had a difficult time not sighing again. He was in deep enough shit as it was, so he didn't need to irk the man any further.

"I believe the one that is fooling no one is you, Akashi-san."

Kuroko felt a deep sense of pride when all his words came out steady and controlled. There wasn't even so much as a hint of hesitation in his tone.

A deep chuckle was the next sound to pierce the bluenette's eardrums, followed by the rumble of Masaomi's baritone voice.

"I see that you fancy yourself clever, don't you Kuroko-kun?"

The question was obviously rhetorical, but Kuroko felt the need to speak up anyway. He was still rather heated about being kidnapped and all, and he wasn't about to let this man walk all over him. Akashi Masaomi had caused both him and Seijuurou so much pain, he didn't deserve to have an easy time with this… _abduction._

Though he couldn't see the man's expression, Kuroko still cocked his head to the side purely for the effect. "I've no idea what you mean, Akashi-san." The bluenette was most likely walking on eggshells right now, but who cares? If Masaomi had already planned to cause him bodily harm, then it wouldn't matter much if he fought back – no matter the method – right?

The silence seemed to draw on forever, but Kuroko didn't mind. Whatever expression Masaomi was wearing had no effect on him, and he wasn't a very talkative person anyway.

Before long, a curled fist connected squarely against the bluenette's jaw, propelling his head to the side. With a little grunt, Kuroko could taste as a metallic liquid seeped from the cuts in his mouth. When the amount became too much, the bluenette spit out the sticky blood. To be honest, the whole situation was actually quite laughable. This was so very cliché, it was basically the storyline of a tv show.

You know, character A and character B love each other despite the many obstacles separating them. Character A's family is rich, the complete opposite of B's. A is an heir whose father is adamantly against their relationship, and kidnaps B to break things off between the two. Now if Akashi burst in guns blazing and saved Kuroko, the whole thing would be completed.

A small snicker escaped the bluenette's lips because of his thoughts. Biting his bottom lip, Kuroko cursed himself.

 _'_ _Oh shit…I just screwed myself, didn't I?'_

To be fair, the bluenette couldn't help it; the whole plight really was perfect for TV. It was a Romeo + Juliet, star-crossed lovers situation, complete with a rich, asshole father who didn't want his son with a "commoner". Even if he tried to explain things to Masaomi, Kuroko had a feeling he would only be in more trouble.

Though he couldn't see the older red-head's expression, Kuroko still turned his head away, trying to avoid the inevitable.

"I see that you find this situation to be amusing, Kuroko-kun."

 _'_ _Well, duh…'_

Rolling his eyes, the bluenette kept his mouth shut. Whenever he opened it, he tended to get himself in deeper shit.

"If physical wounds are of no use, perhaps it would be more advantageous to attack your mindset?"

The statement itself had Kuroko thinking. Besides Akashi, what subject could Masaomi possibly broach that would inflict any damage to the bluenette?

Letting his curiosity get the better of him – as usual – Kuroko once again opened his mouth. "Oh? And what could that topic possibly be?"

Despite his lack of sight, Kuroko could physically feel the deranged smile that appeared on Masaomi's lips. It was eerie and ominous, unsettling the bluenette greatly.

"Since you asked, I believe you would be interested to know why you are here."

Masaomi's words were perplexing, as Kuroko was pretty sure he already knew the reason he was here. Attempting to settle his frayed nerves, the bluenette supplied an answer.

"Isn't it because of Akashi-kun?"

A loud cackle escaped the man's lips as he corrected his prisoner.

"Oh, how wrong you are, Kuroko-kun…The reason you are here, child, is because your dear parents needed money for a new fix."

As the words left Masaomi's mouth, a feeling of dread pooled in the pit of Kuroko's stomach.

"Does that mean…" The bluenette couldn't bring himself to continue his sentence, but the red-head helpfully finished for him.

"Yes, indeed. Your parents sold you to me for drug money, which also means your fate rests solely in my hands. I'll be looking forward to it, Kuroko- _kun._ "


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:**

 **What better way to bring in the New Year than new fanfiction chapters! Sorry that I haven't updated in a while, but the holiday season is a busy time! I hope everyone had a wonderful time! Annnyways, I hope you enjoy this new chapter, and let me know what you think!**

 **By the way, if you have read my fic "Separated Souls", I am happy to tell you that I am finally coming out with a sequel! Yay! I'd appreciate it if you would check it out!**

 **Enjoy! :)**

Oh, how Kuroko regrets opening his mouth now. Why…Why oh why did he have to provoke the man? Was it not enough already that he had been kidnapped? Was he perhaps a masochist or something? Why in the _hell_ couldn't he keep his fucking mouth _shut_?!

After dropping that bombshell, Akashi Masaomi had seemingly left the room. Kuroko couldn't be sure, but he didn't care right now. Actually, Kuroko didn't know _what_ he felt. He was just…numb. The words Masaomi delivered wrapped around his brain, but it adamantly refused to process them, as if it already knew what kind of damage would be done if they were acknowledged.

Kuroko didn't move for a very long time. This was just a dream, right? Just some kind of fucking sick joke? People would be surrounding him any minute now with cameras and a microphone telling him he'd just been punked, right? Surely he had heard Masaomi wrong, right?

Yeah, that must be it. There was no way Masaomi said what Kuroko had thought he did, right? There was no way his parents _actually_ sold him for drug money, to Akashi Masaomi no less, _right_?

Deep down, Kuroko knew it was true. Hell, he probably saw something like this coming from a mile away, but reality wasn't always easy to accept. Like if your dad had cancer and you knew he was dying, it wouldn't be easy to accept that he actually died after it happened, right?

Yes, Kuroko knew. Deep in his heart, _he knew_. It wasn't so surprising for them to actually sell him off, but…he didn't want it to be true. Though he didn't know, there had still been some _hope_ in him that his parents weren't the monsters he thought they were. That perhaps they actually cared for him, even if only a little bit. All his life he had tried to not get in their way. He tried to not interrupt their pace, and basically raised himself. Kuroko knew that hope wasn't something he should have, but he wanted so badly for them to acknowledge him.

Gritting his teeth, Kuroko slammed his head back against the pole he was tied to, effectively knocking those thoughts out of his mind.

"Ngh…"

Kuroko was done with those weak thoughts. Why the hell should he care if those assholes had sold him? They had never been parents to him, so he should have no lingering attachments. The situation as it was right now was no different than it had been twenty minutes ago. Facts still stood that the bluenette was kidnapped by Akashi Masaomi and currently being held captive who-knows-where. Nothing had changed, except that Kuroko was now free of the shackles that had been weighing him down his whole life.

Yeah, that's it. Now Kuroko had no worries, he could throw away all doubts he previously had and just _be_ with Akashi. The obstacles in Kuroko's path were gone, and now all he had to do was find his way back to the love of his life.

Taking a deep breath, Kuroko spoke into the silence of the room. He didn't know if Masaomi would hear his words, but perhaps he spoke to also cement his own resolution.

"Your attacks will not harm me, Akashi-san. There is nothing you can say or do that will ever stop me from loving your son, it's just a shame the same can't be said for you."

The silence filled the room once more when Kuroko's mouth fell shut. He felt stronger already, though he still had one last thing to get off his chest and out into the open. The bluenette said it more for himself than anybody else, but he still hoped Masaomi would somehow hear.

"I love Seijuurou-kun with all my heart, and there is nothing in this world that can take him away from me. He will always be _mine_ …"

…..

Storming into the house, Akashi found Aomine lazing around on the couch. Given that he was home already, the tanned teen had most likely skipped practice, but that was the least of the red-head's concerns right now. Marching over to the ace, Akashi stood over him with a deadly gleam in his eyes.

"Daiki," He began as he glanced around the room. "Where are the keys to your motorcycle?"

Truthfully, the motorcycle wasn't completely Aomine's just yet. He wasn't quite old enough to have a license, so his father wouldn't turn over the keys fully until after his eighteenth birthday. Though his dad was a cop, the tanned teen still rode it around from time to time.

"My motorcycle? Why?" Aomine grunted, extremely confused. He was immediately able to sense Akashi's tension, but he was pretty sure he hadn't fucked anything up lately.

"The reasons are not for you to know. All I can say is that it has to do with my father." Thrusting his hand out towards his old teammate, Akashi commanded once more, "Keys. _Now._ "

Flinching from the dangerous tone, Aomine did what he was told with no further questions. He was dying to know, but he liked his life and didn't want it to end anytime soon.

Once the keys were firmly in the red-head's hands, the bluenette took a glance around. Kuroko wasn't anywhere in sight, and it wasn't just because Aomine couldn't see him. Cocking his head to the side and raising an eyebrow, he questioned Akashi.

"Hey, where's Tetsu?"

The atmosphere suddenly turned stifling, and the temperature of the room dropped a good ten degrees. A deadly aura oozed from the red-head, and Aomine took that as his cue to get the fuck out of there.

"Uhh, well. I, uh, have practice!"

Akashi watched with dead eyes as Aomine sprinted from the room, leaving him only with his thoughts.

 _'_ _Indeed…'_

He thought to himself as his heart tightened. Eyes cutting across the room, Akashi suddenly felt empty.

 _'_ _Where are you, Tetsuya?'_

…..

Racing down the highway, the red-head maneuvered the motorcycle around cars like they were stationary objects. He was at full throttle, on his way to Kyoto. If anyone knew what his father's movements were, it would be the Akashi family's long-time employee, Tanaka Seiichirou. The red-head knew that the man couldn't stand his father, but he was very observant. Not even the smallest of details could get by him, so Akashi hoped he could provide even a tiny amount of insight as to his father's actions.

The trip from Tokyo to Kyoto or vise-versa would usually take a couple of hours, but Akashi didn't have that kind of time. At the speed he was going, he managed to cut the time it took by at least thirty minutes. Pulling to a stop in the driveway to his family home, the red-head dashed to the door, flinging it open.

All the maids in the entranceway were startled by the door slamming against the wall, and even more so to see their flustered young master. Rushing over to the red-head, Tanaka had a look of concern written across his face.

"Young Master Seijuurou, is everything alright?" The older man questioned, obviously noting the distress displayed by the young Akashi.

"Where is my father?" He demanded immediately, skipping any pleasantries.

"Your father?"

Clicking his tongue in impatience, Akashi's crimson eyes bore into the veteran employee. "Yes, my _father._ He has taken something very important to me, and it is my intention to get it back."

The red-head watched in silence as a sudden realization dawned in Tanaka's eyes, and he instantly knew that the man was aware of the situation. Gritting his teeth, Akashi snatched Tanaka's tie and brought their faces just inches apart.

"Tell me where that man is right now or so help me this house will rain blood." His voice was steady and calm, but his words were threatening and held a latent danger. The red-head was seriously about to lose his shit if somebody didn't tell him what he wanted to know within the next five seconds. The maids all buzzed around in fear, avoiding eye contact but still wanting to see how things would unfold.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Tanaka spoke nervously, as if he was talking to a beast – but perhaps he was. "Seijuurou-sama, I do not know the exact location of your father," He began, quickly finishing his sentence once Akashi's hand tightened around his tie. "I don't know his exact location, _but_ I believe he may be at your old vacation home."

Akashi was already sprinting out the door by the time Tanaka finished, destination clear in his mind. He sped off towards a familiar place, hoping that he would find what he was looking for. The red-head could only hope that it wouldn't be broken and battered once he found it.

…..

Kuroko didn't know how long he had sat in silence, or how much blood he had probably lost from the open wound on the back of his head. Masaomi had yet to come back after his declaration, and the bluenette didn't know what to make of it. Was it a good thing that he hadn't returned, or would it be better if he was here? Would Kuroko have a better chance of escaping if he was alone or could he convince Masaomi to let him go?

Ha, okay, the second one was not an option. After everything that had happened, Kuroko highly doubted that the older red-head would simply let him go. If he was even half as stubborn as Akashi, then that was impossible.

"Haaah…"

Well, he said he would escape, but how? Kuroko didn't even have the faintest clue where he was, let alone how to get out. Not even to mention that he was tied up and blindfolded, oh and let's not forget dizzy from blood loss.

Jerking his arms, Kuroko confirmed that he was indeed secured. Seriously, who the hell tied these ropes? There wasn't even the least bit of slack, they were good and tight.

Well shit. What the hell was he going to do now? The bluenette certainly didn't have the strength to break the ropes, but he couldn't sit idly by and wait for Akashi to come save him. It'd put the red-head in harms way if he did.

At that thought, Kuroko began to wiggle and grind his arms and legs, trying to loosen the ropes even the slightest bit. As he did so, however, he didn't notice the creak of the door opening or the footsteps heading in his direction. Kuroko was scared half to death when a deep voice suddenly rang from directly in front of him.

"Now, now. What's going on, Kuroko-kun? You wouldn't be trying to get free, would you?" Masaomi purred, his voice sickly sweet. It honestly made Kuroko want to throw up, but he kept that to himself.

"I don't believe I know what you're talking about, Akashi-san. Isn't it common manners to admire the handiwork of your kidnapper's rope tying?" The bluenette quipped, causing the room to fall silent once more.

 _'_ _That's better. Shut up, asshole.'_ Kuroko thought, rolling his eyes behind his blindfold.

 _*Smack*_

A cupped palm connected with his cheek, the sound echoing around the enclosed room. Just as the stinging pain flashed across the surface of his skin, Masaomi ripped the blindfold off. The cheap fluorescent lights nearly blinded Kuroko, but his eyes adjusted after some time.

When they did, however, the bluenette suddenly wished he still had the cloth tied around his eyes. As his blue orbs cut around the small room, he counted around five other people besides Masaomi, one of them being a familiar face.

"What is Haizaki-kun doing here?" He questioned, trying to keep the sinking feeling in his stomach from eating him alive. There was no way these people were here for a good reason, but Kuroko was known to be wrong from time to time. Perhaps Masaomi was throwing a party in his honor or something?

 _'_ _No fucking way.'_

"I'm just here to earn a little extra cash, and perhaps…sate my desires?" His old teammate replied, a disparaging smile splitting his thin lips, identical to the four other men. Masaomi's smirk, however, was borderline insane. Kuroko had never seen anyone look this depraved, and he hoped he wouldn't see it ever again. To be honest, it sent uneasy shudders throughout his body.

Though Kuroko knew this wouldn't turn out in his favor, he let himself ask one last question: "And how would you be doing that, Haizaki-kun?"

…..

Arriving at his old vacation home, Akashi jumped off the motorcycle and rushed towards the front door. His father's personal car was in the driveway, which meant that he had to be here.

 _'_ _Where would that bastard keep Tetsuya?'_ He asked himself, stopping for a moment in the entryway to think. It wasn't long, however, before his blood ran cold.

 _"_ _Akashi-kun!"_

The scream was desperate and frightened, and it caused Akashi to start shaking.

Nonono. No. Just _no._ That couldn't be Tetsuya. He was fine, there was nothing wrong.

The red-head repeated those words over and over in his mind like a mantra as he sprinted up the stairs and towards the sound of the voice.

He had to be okay. He just had to be. Akashi's father surely wouldn't be so cruel as to do what the red-head thought he did, right? He _couldn't._ Not to _Tetsuya._

As Akashi got closer to the sound of a struggle, he was suddenly close lined and launched directly onto his back, ripping the air violently from his lungs.

"Guh!"

"Now where do you think you're going, Seijuurou? Don't you know it's impolite to run in the hallway?" Akashi Masaomi sneered, his voice unstable and crazed.

"W-where…is Tet…suya?" He breathed, holding his injured throat. Akashi most certainly did _not_ have time to be dealing with Masaomi. Not when his Tetsuya was suffering at the hands of some soon-to-be-dead fuckers.

Masaomi's smile widened significantly as he knelt before Akashi. "Oh, don't worry. Kuroko-kun is having some _fun_ with my friends in the other room."

Akashi's heart immediately froze in his chest once he heard those words. Not just his heart, but his lungs and his brain stopped functioning as well.

 _'_ _No!'_

Jumping to his feet despite his pain, the red-head attempted to get to the other room, but was stopped by his father before he got anywhere.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere. The only way you can help Kuroko-kun is by listening to my simple request."

Realization came instantly, and Akashi knew his father wasn't messing around.

 _"_ _Akashi-kun!"_

This time, the voice was louder and more desperate, clearly at the end of its rope.

"What will it be, Seijuurou?" Masaomi questioned as if he didn't have a care in the world.

 _"_ _Help me!"_

Yanking at his hair, Akashi fell to his knees in distress. How could his father do this? There was no way the red-head could betray Tetsuya like this. _Not like this._

 _"_ _Akashi-kun!"_

"All you have to do is agree to leave that boy, and he's free to go. It's your fault he's suffering."

Akashi's lips began to bleed as his teeth broke the skin. _No…_ How could he leave Tetsuya?

 _"_ _Aka…shi-kun…sob…hic…"_

Setting his jaw, Akashi lowered his head in defeat.

"Fine. You win… _Game over_."


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:**

 **Okay, okay. This update is late, I'm sorry! I've been busy, but I hope I will get back on track with All the World's Sorrows soon as well. Anyway, as always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy (let me know what you think!) :)**

"It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Seijuurou." After that last parting remark, Akashi Masaomi leisurely strolled down the hallway, destination who-the-fuck-cares. Putting his father out of his mind, Akashi quickly jumped to his feet. Now was not the time to be hating his father's guts, the red-head was sure there would be plenty of time for that later, along with hating himself for what he was about to do…

…..

Kuroko struggled against the disgusting hands of the men holding him down. He absolutely refused to be taken in this manner, he couldn't betray Akashi like that. The bluenette felt chills running up his spine as Haizaki tore his shirt open, his repulsive hands trailing all over his torso.

Shooting the man a fearsome glare, Kuroko spit in his former teammate's face. "Get your filthy hands off of me, you creepy bastard." The bluenette bit out the words as he continued to strain against the other men.

Kuroko's fury only seemed to amuse Haizaki as a nasty look disfigured his horrid face. "So you like it rough, do you? Never thought you were into BDSM Kuroko- _kun._ I guess looks can be deceiving." He mocked, telling the other men to hold him tighter as he spread the bluenette's legs wide open and got to work on taking off his pants.

A horrible feeling ravaged Kuroko's body, and he was seriously seconds away from throwing up his lunch. He couldn't believe this was actually happening.

Kicking his legs at Haizaki, the bluenette cried out the first words to circulate through his head.

"Akashi-kun!"

The men all began to laugh as he desperately called for help. Taunting words assaulted his ears as small tears pricked the corners of his steel blue eyes. Kuroko had enough of this humiliation, and he managed to send a well-timed, and well-placed, kick directly into Haizaki's crotch.

"Ugh! You son-of-a-bitch, I'm going to fucking kill you!" He snarled, one hand enclosing around the bluenette's throat as the other continued to pull down his basketball shorts.

Just as Kuroko's air supply was about to be cut off and his shorts were sliding off his hips, the door flew open, revealing a livid Akashi Seijuurou. The red-head said nothing as his foot connected squarely against the side of Haizaki's head, knocking him unconscious in no time at all. The other men were soon dealt with, all the while Kuroko watched on equally in both slight fear and awe.

"A-Akashi-kun…" He rasped, tears finally trailing down his flushed cheeks. The bluenette couldn't believe he was here, saving him again. It didn't matter right now, all Kuroko wanted was to be securely in Akashi's arms.

The red-head slowly approached Kuroko, still not uttering a word. Kuroko could feel that something was off, but he couldn't quite place what is was. As he was wracking his brain, Akashi offered him a hand, dragging him from the room once it was accepted.

As Kuroko was dragged through the hallway and down the stairs, he finally noticed what was off. It was Akashi's face. The features had become extremely hard, and were colder than ice.

Gathering the courage to speak, the bluenette was able to manage a few words despite his desert-dry throat. "Akashi-kun…W-what's wrong? Is it about what just happened? If it is, I swear I didn't let them do anything. I _swear_ -"

Kuroko was cut off as Akashi flung the door open and shoved the bluenette outside.

"Ouch…" Landing on his side, the bluenette slowly pushed himself to a sitting position as he stared at Akashi in shock. When the red-head finally spoke, the words packed enough punch to stop Kuroko's heart.

"We're through. I never want to see you again, you're too much to handle."

"W-what…" Kuroko stuttered, not believing what he was hearing.

Clicking his tongue, an annoyed expression crossed Akashi's hard face. "Don't you get it? Use your head for once. I'm tired of all the trouble you cause, now get out of here!" The red-head barked, throwing the bluenette a weird look before he slammed the door.

…..

For a few moments, Kuroko couldn't move. His eyes were locked on the door, waiting for Akashi to open it and tell him that everything was all a joke, and that they didn't just break up…

 _Break up…_

The words rang through his head repeatedly, throwing him into action. Springing up despite the pain in his side, Kuroko slammed his fists against the door, shouting Akashi's name.

"Akashi-kun! Akashi-kun, please open up! Please don't do this! _Please!_ "

The bluenette's voice eventually died out when there were no signs of movement behind the grand oak door. He gave one last uncommitted smash against the door until his forehead gently fell forward. It was weird how no tears would come out of his eyes, but perhaps he had none left.

It was a long time before he left the house, wandering aimlessly down the street. He didn't have an exact destination in mind; actually, he didn't have anything in mind. Somehow, someway, he managed not to get hit by any cars and eventually ended up in front of Aomine's house. Kuroko stared blankly at the front door, not even noticing when rain began gushing from the sky.

The bluenette didn't know how long he had stood out there before the front door finally opened, but it must've been a few hours. He was absolutely soaked to the bone, with Aomine yelling as much into his ear as he pulled him inside, throwing him under the spray of the shower head.

The hot water pounding against his freezing skin felt heavenly, but the terrible feeling in his chest just wouldn't go away. Aomine was shouting at him, but Kuroko's ears wouldn't register the words. Perhaps they had deemed that he had heard enough for the day, and shut down.

When the feeling finally returned to his fingers, the taller teen's voice reached Kuroko at last.

"Oi! Tetsu, what the hell is wrong with you?! What were you doing? And where the hell is Akashi?! He stormed in here all ominously asking for my dad's motorcycle and then took off a few hours ago!" He yelled; confusion, annoyance, and slight worry marring his tan features.

At the mention of the red-head's name, the tears that had adamantly refused to fall a few short hours before started to stream heavily down Kuroko's cheeks, mixing with the water of the shower. Aomine was clearly dumb-founded, having never seen the bluenette cry before. He had no idea what to do, especially once Kuroko latched onto him, burying his face into Aomine's chest.

Awkwardly patting the bluenette's back, Aomine quietly shushed the sobs of his best friend. His heart truly ached, even without knowing what was going on. The taller bluenette had never seen Kuroko cry like this, and he concluded he never wanted to see it again either. Aomine vowed that whoever had made his former shadow hurt so badly would be hurting a thousand times more once he was through with them.

…..

The water from the shower had turned ice cold by the time Kuroko had cried himself to sleep. He was sprawled across Aomine, whose back was pressed against the tile wall. No words would form in his brain because the shock was just too great. Never before had he seen Kuroko shed a tear, and now he had cried himself to sleep? Aomine had no idea what had happened, but he suspected that the problem related to Akashi, who was suspiciously absent the entire time.

Filing that thought away for later, Aomine carefully gathered the smaller bluenette up in his arms and stood up. Despite all the movement, Kuroko didn't even stir as he was placed down on Aomine's bed.

 _'_ _I guess I better change his clothes…'_ He thought, grabbing an old pair of sweats and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Upon closer inspection, Kuroko's shirt was torn open, and he had bruises on his wrists, neck, and whole left side of his body.

"What the hell happened, Tetsu?" Aomine sighed, dressing his old friend before wrapping him in a blanket and placing his head on a pillow. Sparing one last look at the sleeping bluenette, the tanned teen quietly closed the door and went into the living room to make a call.

Locating the contact of the person he was thinking of, Aomine immediately hit the call button. The phone rang and rang and rang, but no one would pick up. He tried the number a few more times before he finally decided that the person wasn't going to answer. Scrolling through his contacts once more, Aomine located another name, clicking the call button once more. There were several rings before an uptight voice sounded on the other end of the line.

"Aomine? It is unusual for you to call me…" The voice drawled, confusion laced in his tone.

"Yeah yeah…Nice talking to you too, Midorima." Aomine sighed before addressing the reason he called.

"Do you know where Akashi is?"

"Akashi? Why do you want to know where Akashi is, Aomine?" Midorima questioned, irking the bluenette.

" _Do you know where he is or not?_ " He pressed. Aomine didn't have time to be playing twenty questions with his former teammate.

"Ahem…" Clearing his throat, Midorima answered the question. "If I recall correctly, he told me he was heading to his old vacation house a few hours ago. He called me asking for the quickest way to get there." The green-head revealed, the answer satisfying Aomine.

"Okay, great! Thanks man."

"Wait, wh-"

Before Midorima could get out the rest of his sentence, Aomine hung up the phone and grabbed a jacket off the back of the couch.

 _'_ _I'm going to find out what the hell is going on once and for all. I just hope I don't have to kill my former captain…'_


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:**

 **Okay, another chapter done! I don't own the songs or the lyrics in this chapter, but they're good so I recommend them! "I'm not the only one" by Sam Smith and "Giving Tree" by The Plain White T's. Annyywaayys, I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think! :)**

Kuroko awoke surrounded by a sea of pillows and enveloped in a masculine smell. It was different, though that may be a good thing. Prying open his eyes, the bluenette had to blink a few times before his sight cleared up. He laid still for a long time, watching the clouds roll by through the window. The sky was beautiful and shining and there was even a rainbow forming in the horizon. Yeah, that sight was great, but all Kuroko wanted to do was sleep. His bones ached and his head was pounding a mighty beat and worse than that… _so_ much worse than that, he recalled every little detail of the previous day. Kuroko wanted so badly to just lock everything away and sleep. He didn't want to feel anything, he didn't want to _think_ of anything… Sadly, Kuroko wouldn't be granted that mercy. Once he was awake, he would be awake until it was time for bed that night.

"Haahhh…"

Sitting up in the bed, Kuroko began to violently cough. The fit lasted for quite a while, and left his throat feeling raw and damaged. He felt gross and could still feel the hands of the creeps from the day before.

 _'_ _I need a shower…'_

With that thought, the bluenette stumbled from the bed and to the bathroom, nostalgia attempting to assault his mind. One glance in the mirror, however, erased those thoughts. The silence in his mind only lasted a while before he began to remember everything he went through.

The shirt he wore slid off one shoulder, revealing his neck. There were bruises marring the normally pale white skin, turning it an ugly purplish red. Gritting his teeth, Kuroko tried to keep himself from gagging. A horrible feeling had taken up residence in the pit of his stomach, making him feel sick. Everything was too much. The one person the bluenette needed the most wasn't by his side anymore, and Aomine wasn't anywhere to be seen either.

Turning away from the mirror, Kuroko stripped off the baggy clothes. He didn't dare take a look again in fear of what he might find. The bluenette turned the shower as hot as it could go, before stepping under the spray. He let the water scald his body for a while, before resting against the wall and sliding to the floor. Eyes closed, Kuroko curled his knees into his chest as if he was shielding himself from the outside world.

"Why aren't you here, Akashi-kun…?"

…..

Marching up the unbelievably long driveway, Aomine tried to collect his thoughts. He had gotten this far, but now he wasn't really sure what he would say. The tanned teen was almost positive that Kuroko's situation was Akashi's fault, but what if he was wrong? He'd be a dead man and still not know what happened to his former shadow. Well, he's not going to back off on what-ifs, but Aomine still had no idea how he would confront the red-head.

Even if he came straight out and accuses him, that doesn't mean that hard-headed guy would just give in to accusations. Besides, what would he do even if Akashi admits to making Kuroko cry? Hit him? Aomine wouldn't be satisfied with that…

"Arggh! It's not like me to think so damn much!" He groused, grabbing a fistful of his hair.

 _'_ _Whatever. Get over it you wuss…'_

Continuing up the driveway, Aomine finally reached the front door. Rapping his knuckles against the thick wood, he waited for a response. Unfortunately, he waited quite a while to no avail.

Banging harder this time, he shouted as well.

"Get your ass out here, Akashi! I know you're in there!" The bluenette yelled.

It was a few more minutes before the door opened, revealing the red-head. His face was completely blank, as if emotions didn't exist within him. Aomine was taken aback, especially with the dead look that replaced the usually intense fire in his crimson eyes.

"Shit man, you look like crap!" Aomine commented, not even thinking about what he was saying.

There was a weird flash behind those dead eyes, but Aomine didn't know what to call it. The red-head simply stared back at him with otherwise no reaction.

"Uh…That's not what I came to say. What I meant was, what the hell did you do?"

Getting straight to the point, he glared directly into his former captain's eyes, something he had never done before.

"What do you mean?" Akashi questioned, tone as dead as his face and crimson orbs.

Setting his jaw, Aomine encroached further on the red-head's personal space. "Don't give me that crap Akashi. Why the hell did I find Tetsu standing out in the rain, soaking wet? No. Forget that. Why the _fuck_ did Tetsu _cry himself to sleep_ last night?" He seethed, about to flip his lid. Just thinking of last night's events riled him up once more.

Thick though he may be, Aomine didn't miss the flinch that shook Akashi's form.

 _'_ _I knew it. I fucking knew it! Its this bastard's fault that Tetsu is hurt.'_

Growling, the bluenette's eyebrows slammed down. "What the fuck did you do to him, Akashi?! I have _never_ seen him cry before, _ever!_ Not in all the years that I have known him." Aomine's chest was now rising and falling very rapidly as he snarled at the red-head before him.

Akashi merely stared back at him, still no emotion betraying his face.

It was a few moments before he finally spoke. "Is that all you have to say?"

If Aomine wasn't pissed off already, he was now.

"How the fuck can you say that? Aren't you two dating?" Aomine yelled, not understanding anything anymore. Something was definitely wrong because the bluenette knew for a fact that Akashi wasn't this heartless, especially not about matters concerning _Kuroko._

"Him? No."

Hurt seemed to flash behind Akashi's eyes, but Aomine didn't care. The red-head didn't deserve to feel hurt, not after what he has said and with how he hurt Kuroko. Akashi couldn't even react before Aomine's fist connected against his jaw. It was a hard punch, but it only caused the red-head to stumble backwards slightly.

Anger finally registered on Akashi's face, but he didn't have a chance to move before his father appeared behind him, glancing between the two teens.

"What is going on here, Seijuurou?" Masaomi asked, raising one red eyebrow.

Akashi seemed to be trying to tell Aomine something with his eyes, but the latter couldn't tell what it was. What he could tell, however, was how quickly the red-head shut up and retracted from the situation when his father appeared. That was rather suspicious.

"Hmm…" The older Akashi hummed, glaring at Aomine.

"I believe it is time for you to go. It is disrespectful to show up on someone else's property and start a fight."

With that statement, Masaomi slammed the door, but not before Aomine caught sight of Akashi's pleading look. The bluenette was dumbfounded.

"What the fuck is going on?!"

…..

Dodging his father's questions, Akashi retreated to his room. He was seriously about to break, he needed to be by himself. Akashi couldn't believe how hurt he was feeling, especially when he didn't have a right. The red-head hurt Kuroko so badly and without an explanation, there was no way he could act like a victim now.

 _'_ _Daiki said he cried…'_

Akashi bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. His heart shattered when he heard that Kuroko had cried himself to sleep. Why, _why_ did he have to be born as Akashi Seijuurou? _Why_ did he have to be the biggest idiot in the whole world and hurt the one person that he should never? The _one_ person he wanted to protect? And the red-head hurt him in the most despicable way, when Kuroko needed him the most.

"I'm so sorry, Tetsuya…If my father was any other man, I'd be able to make you happy but I…No, I did this…I can only blame myself, can't I…"

Muttering to himself, Akashi fisted his hair and pulled. The blood now trailed down his chin, but he deserved more pain than this. Aomine was right, he was a bastard, and he should get so much more than just a punch.

"I'm despicable…I know I have no right, but I still love you, Tetsuya…" Whispering into the quiet surroundings, the red-head closed his eyes and kept them that way until he heard his father calling sometime later that night.

…..

 _All the leaves on the giving tree have fallen_

 _No shade to crawl in underneath_

 _I've got scars from a pocket knife_

 _Where you carved your heart into me_

After his shower, Kuroko sat in Aomine's bed, motionless. His eyes saw nothing in particular as he stared blankly at the opposite wall. The bluenette had turned the radio on hoping for a change in the mood and atmosphere, but he must have pissed off someone up in heaven. For the last hour, nothing but sad songs had been playing, each digging the hole in his heart deeper than the last. What he had done to deserve this, Kuroko didn't know, but now he didn't even have the energy to get up and turn off the radio.

 _If all you wanted was love_

 _Why would you use me up_

 _Cut me down, build a boat, and sail away_

 _When all I wanted to be was your giving tree_

 _Settle down, build a home, and make you happy?_

"Haahhh…"

Sighing, Kuroko let himself fall to the side into a big pile of pillows. Bringing his knees to his chest, he continued to listen to the flow of lyrics streaming from the tiny box on the night stand. The radio DJ really must hate him, because this is now the fifteenth sad love song.

"This must be a big 'fuck you', huh…"

 _You and me we made a vow_

 _For better or for worse_

 _I can't believe you let me down_

 _But the proof is in the way it hurts_

 _For months on end I've had my doubts_

 _Denying every tear_

 _I wish this would be over now_

 _But I know that I still need you here-_

When the music suddenly cut off, Kuroko groggily sat up to determine the problem. As he did, though, he came face to face with Aomine, who had an unreadable expression on his tan face. The bluenette glanced at him for several seconds, before finally laying back down.

"Oh, its only Aomine-kun." He stated simply, closing his eyes and curling back up on the bed.

He was rather shocked when a hand circled around his ankle, yanking him from his cozy position in the sea of pillows. Kuroko's ass hit the ground quite hard, and he jumped up in anger.

"What the actual _fuck_ , Aomine-kun?!" The bluenette growled, icy blue eyes colder than ever.

 _'_ _Shit, I don't think I've ever heard Tetsu swear before…'_

"Get dressed, we're going out."

Tossing the smaller bluenette a pair of shorts and a shirt, Aomine began to walk from the room until he was stopped by Kuroko's tired voice.

"Hahh…I'm not going anywhere, Aomine-kun. I don't feel very well…" Kuroko sighed, attempting to lay back down on the bed.

Stopping his former shadow, the tanned teen put the clothes back in his hands. "Ah, ah, ah…I already told Kise we'd meet him at Maji Burger."

 _'_ _What doesn't Aomine-kun understand? I don't want to go…'_

"I just want to be alone right now, please leave me alone…"

At Kuroko's plea, Aomine almost reconsidered his plan, but he didn't allow himself to falter.

" _Now,_ Tetsu."

The tone of the taller teen's voice forced Kuroko to stare blankly into his eyes. The silence dragged on forever, and Aomine began to get slightly uncomfortable. Shifting his weight between his feet, he still wouldn't give up.

Sighing again, Kuroko finally relented. If it was that important to Aomine, he'd do it. Besides, maybe this was a good way to get his mind off of Akashi, at least for a little while. The bluenette knew it would be impossible for him not to think of the red-head, but he would welcome any distractions.

"Fine. But only for a little while, and you're buying me a milkshake…"

"What?!"


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:**

 **Its been a while, hasn't it? Ehehhehh...Sorry! I've been crazy busy, but I haven't forgotten about this story! Thank you to everyone who continues to read and support this fic, I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think. :)**

Walking into Maji Burger, Kuroko immediately spotted Kise. The blonde was surrounded by squealing girls practically _worshipping_ him, and definitely inflating his already big ego. Stopping in his tracks, Kuroko's face was blank as he turned around and attempted to walk back out the door. Unfortunately, Aomine had already grown accustom to his actions, and caught the shorter bluenette before he could get far.

"Ah-ah-ahh…You're not going anywhere." The tanned male sighed, catching the bluenette by one of his arms.

A pout instantly appeared on the shorter teen's face as he helplessly pointed in the blonde's direction, absolutely exasperated. "Come _on,_ Aomine-kun. Just _look_ at him! I am in no mood to be hanging around _that_ all day." Kuroko whined a bit petulantly, wanting cross his arms and stomp his feet like a child having a tantrum.

That sentiment may have been a crude understatement, and maybe even a bit unnecessary. It was clear as day with anyone with working eyes that Kuroko wasn't exactly in an _amicably-dealing-with-Kise-Ryouta-mood_ , and it was even more apparent that he wasn't in any sort of mood to deal with _anyone_. Kuroko Tetsuya practically radiated tension, impatience, and barely veiled annoyance, so perhaps it wasn't the best time to be encountering Kise and his stupid, _stupid_ fans.

Anxiously rubbing the back of his neck, Aomine wasn't sure what to say. He, himself, didn't really want to hang out with Kise when his fans were around, so he could understand where the bluenette was coming from. Any other day, he probably would have given in to his former shadow and walked right out of the restaurant, but he didn't have any other ideas to keep Kuroko's mind off of Akashi. Given the state the bluenette had been in earlier – you know, curled up in a ball listening to a sad love song marathon – he really needed a distraction. The best way for him not to think would be to keep his head occupied, and what better way to do that than to have Kise Ryouta talk your ear off?

Just as Kuroko was about to make another attempt to escape, the blonde spotted the two hanging around the front entrance.

"Aominecchi! Kurokocchi!" Kise exclaimed, looking positively _gleeful_ and waving his arms erratically. The excitement on the blonde's face had Kuroko groaning, and making another futile attempt to slip away. Aomine, of course, latched tightly onto the bluenette's arm and pulled him close.

"Come on, Tetsu. I promise it won't be that bad. Look, you go over to Kise and I'll get you a milkshake. Afterwards we can talk about what we'll do, so just hold your horses, okay?"

Kuroko stared at the taller male's face long and hard, scrutinizing every little flinch. His gaze was intense and caused Aomine mild discomfort. Those eyes of his always seemed to see right into the tanned male's soul, like he was bare before the bluenette. Shivering slightly, Aomine cleared his throat.

"Hahhh…" Sighing, Kuroko shrugged his shoulders. " _Fine._ But it better be a large, and if at any point I feel like mauling that blonde baka, I will leave. Got it?"

Noticing the tone Kuroko's voice adopted, Aomine flinched. After knowing the bluenette for several years, he learned how to detect when Kuroko was playing around and when he was serious. The bluenette was all for messing around and having fun – even if it may not seem like he was – but when he was against something, _everyone_ would know and respect his opinion. _Even Akashi._ The Generation of Miracles all knew what would happen if you pushed Kuroko too far, and believe Aomine, it wasn't pretty.

Lips set in a straight line, the tanned teen relented. Great, now all his pocket change was going to be gone because he had to get Kuroko a large milkshake. He had a strange inkling that he would be wrapped around the bluenette's little finger all day. Considering the mess he was going through at the moment, though, Aomine thought it was worth it. He wanted Kuroko to smile again, and if that meant he had to run himself ragged for a day or two, the taller bluenette would gladly oblige.

As Aomine walked off to get Kuroko's milkshake, Kise came running up to the bluenette.

"Kurokocchi! I missed you _soooo_ much!" The blonde squealed, nearly strangling the shorter boy. Face turning blue, Kuroko had to slap Kise's arms a few times before he finally noticed and let go, one of his rings catching on the fabric enveloping the former's neck.

Gasping, the bluenette directed a small glare at the other boy. Tingles of pain shot through his neck, and unwanted memories threatened to resurface in his mind. Kuroko took a few deep breaths to calm himself before folding his arms across his chest and facing Kise. He simply stayed quiet, though, as he didn't trust himself to speak. Ever since Aomine dragged him out of the house this morning, Kuroko felt like he would snap at any minute, and it wouldn't be fair to Kise if he went off on him just for being his usual self.

Sensing Kuroko's tension, the blonde laughed awkwardly. His smile left his face a minute later, however, and he lunged for the scarf wrapped around the bluenette's neck. Yanking the long fabric away, Kise's expression was enraged.

"What the hell is this, Kurokocchi?!" He shouted, eyebrows low and nostrils flaring. Hearing his raised voice, the other patrons immediately went silent, and all eyes were on the pair.

"Is it a fight?"

"What's going on?"

"Isn't that Kise-kun?"

"Why is he talking to himself?"

The whispers were painfully loud in Kuroko's ears as he narrowed his eyes, not responding to the blonde's furious question. Aomine must have noticed the commotion they caused as well, because he quickly walked back over – milkshake in hand – and dragged his two former teammates out of the establishment. The tanned male thrust the drink into Kuroko's hands as he continued to pull them both down the street and away from all the piercing stares.

Wrenching his hand away from Aomine, Kise was still furious as Kuroko took a seat on a park bench and sipped at his vanilla milkshake. Noticing the scarf in the blonde's fist, Aomine put a hand to his eyes and sighed. Now he knew what Kise was freaking out about, but the real problem would be explaining what the hell happened, especially since he didn't know about Akashi and Kuroko.

Seething, Kise stood right in front of the bluenette. "What. The. Hell. Is. _That._ Kurokocchi?" He growled again, shocking both Aomine and Kuroko. They had never seen him this angry before, as if he was about to fly off the handle.

Kuroko's fingers subconsciously flittered along his marred throat, eyes getting a faraway look. When he was getting dressed this morning, Aomine had forced him to wear a scarf to cover up the furious bruises snaking around his neck. They had gotten worse and so much more pronounced against his pale white skin than the night before, and it seriously looked like someone had choked him out – especially considering one could count out each individual finger mark. The other injuries were easy enough to hide with his other clothes, but even a turtle neck didn't fully hide the choke marks. Aomine had nearly flipped his lid when Kuroko had come out of the bathroom, and only agreed to stop yelling if the bluenette wore a scarf all day.

Returning from his memory, the bluenette dropped his hand and glanced up at Kise. "Its nothing, Kise-kun." He dismissed, waving a hand flippantly.

That only seemed to rile the blonde up even more, as he surged forward and bent down to the bluenette's level. " _That_ is certainly not _nothing_ , Kurokocchi! You have somebody's hand on your damn throat!" He shouted. Turning on Aomine, he thrust a finger in the other teen's face. "And you! How the hell do you not care about this? Look at his neck! Its black and blue and I swear to everything holy once I find the bastard who did it I'll kill him."

"Calm down, Kise. I'm not happy about this either, but you won't be able to get anything out of Tetsu. I've been asking since last night when he came home crying-" Realizing what he was saying, Aomine immediately cut himself off.

 _'_ _Shit. I said something I wasn't supposed to.'_

He could feel the angry weight of Kuroko's glare like a knife in his back, and he dared not face the bluenette.

"He _cried_?!" The blonde shouted again, once more whipping to face the seated bluenette.

"You _cried?!_ "

Choosing not to respond, Kuroko opted to slurp at his drink, icy eyes and blank face betraying no emotion. Honestly, he was just tired. _So tired._ The bluenette understood that Kise and Aomine were only worried, and he appreciated it – _he did_ – but all he wanted was to lay down and sleep the whole day away.

A final, loud slurp fractured the tense silence, also seeming to snap everyone out of their own thoughts. Probably seeing that he wouldn't get anything out of the bluenette with the way he had completely built up a wall, the blonde turned back to Aomine. Curling a fist around the taller boy's shirt collar, he pulled him to eye level.

"What the fuck, Aominecchi? How could you let this happen? I know Kurokocchi is staying at your place, so don't act like you don't fucking know!" Kise growled, canines appearing beneath his top lip.

Smacking the hand away, Aomine leveled a deadly glare at his former teammate. "Step off, Kise. You don't fucking know what happened so don't even pretend like this is my fault." He snarled back, though with much less venom than the blonde.

He stepped toe to toe with the tanned male, shoving at his chest. "Why don't you make me, Ahominecchi? Even if I don't know what happened I certainly know that Kurokocchi shouldn't look like he almost fucking _died_ , asshole."

Jabbing the blonde in the shoulder, Aomine's expression turned savage. "Back. The. Fuck. Up. _Bastard._ " The taller male bit out.

The two glared at each other in silence, and the tension was palpable. Kuroko really wanted to know how things escalated so quickly, but there wasn't any explanation for stupidity.

Sighing, he rubbed at his temples as he threw away his empty cup. _'Ahh, good ol' adolescent hormones…'_ The bluenette thought facetiously as he stood from the bench and went to break up the meaningless fight. If he didn't do something about it now, he was sure that the two idiots would start a fist fight in the middle of this park. Of course, Kuroko couldn't let that happen; this was a family-friendly place. Things needed to stay PG. No violence allowed.

…..

Akashi peered impassively out the window, resting his chin on his fist. He had not moved from that position since he got up in the morning. The red-head was supposed to dine with his father for breakfast, but he told the maids to inform the man that he was not feeling well and then locked himself up in his room. Akashi wasn't sure he would be able to civilly sit in the same room as the man without shoving a butter knife through his eye. Even the thought of seeing his dad again was enough to make the red-head's breathing become labored and his blood pressure to sky rocket.

And yes, he says all this, but deep inside the anger he is afflicted with isn't directed at his father, but at himself. For being the biggest idiot to ever live. He let Akashi Masaomi manipulate him like a shogi piece and played along to his tune without even stopping to consider any other options. Sure, Akashi would never forgive his father for hiring some thugs to violate Kuroko, but the anger and resentment building up deep within his very being could only be directed at one person: Akashi Seijuurou.

 _*Knock**Knock**Knock*_

Someone quietly rapped on the door, drawing the red-head's attention.

"Yes?" He called, curious.

"Young Master, the Master requests your presence in his chambers." A man answered steadily, even voice carrying through the heavy oak door.

 _'_ _Tanaka…'_ His mind supplied as he turned away from the window. He took a moment before he responded. "Tell him I am unwell and resting in bed."

The man behind the door cleared his throat, obviously a bit nervous. "He requests your presence anyway, Young Master."

"Haahh…" Sighing, Akashi bit his lip. Would he really be able to see his father without killing – or at least seriously maiming – him? _'No, probably not…'_

"Fantastic…" He grumbled, raking his fingers through his hair a few times. The red-head had been doing that a lot lately, probably a sign of stress, he noted.

How laughable it was for him to claim that he was stressed. After what he did-

Enough already! Akashi needed to stop moping over his horrible decisions and put that effort in _fixing_ everything. Even if Kuroko wouldn't be able to forgive him – and he didn't expect the bluenette to, it wouldn't be fair – Akashi could at least make everything right. And even if he couldn't do that, at the very least he could make his father _pay._

Standing up from his perch on the chair near his window, Akashi responded to Tanaka. "Very well. Tell him I'll be there shortly."

"As you wish…"

As the footsteps faded down the hallway, a spark ignited in the red-head's eyes that had been lost since he shattered Kuroko's heart with his own hands. He has had enough of cowering in his father's presence. It was time he stood up for himself, and for the things that he loved – the _person_ that he loved. Akashi Seijuurou would bring his father to his knees, even if it was the last thing he would ever do.

Retrieving a small picture from his pocket, the red-head brought it gingerly to his lips. Closing his eyes, Akashi breathed out a bit unevenly.

"I swear, Tetsuya. I will make everything right. Even if you no longer believe me, I love you with all my heart…"


	30. Chapter 30

Kuroko had enough. He loved Aomine and Kise like brothers, but sometimes he just wanted to duct tape their mouths shut and lock them in a closet. They had been arguing the whole way back to Aomine's house, and Kuroko didn't even know _why._ Ever since the park, Kise has had a stick up his ass and was dead set on blaming the tanned male. The bluenette had tried to speak up a few times, but every time he opened his mouth, one of the two bozos would start another shouting match, drawing glares from everyone around them.

This was one of those times where Kuroko was glad he was practically invisible, he didn't want to be associated with these two any more than he had to be.

"Haahhh…" Sighing for the millionth time today, the bluenette internally jumped for joy when Aomine's house came into sight. At least he would be spared the furious glances that all would throw their way anytime Aomine or Kise would flare up. If they had to argue, it would be better to do it in the privacy of their own home rather than a public sidewalk.

"Stop bumping into me, Ahomineicchi!"

"Then stop walking in my way, jackass!"

"Why don't you quit being an asshole?!"

"Why don't you stop being a dumbass?!"

Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, the two glared at each other, hands curled into fists. Kuroko had to suppress an eyeroll. Did they really have to get angry over the smallest things? If they were getting mad about a bump here or there, Kuroko had the right to be furious. He had been getting pushed around all day by these two, and he had been promised they'd do whatever _he_ wanted. Guess what? So far, nothing had gone the way he wanted. They hadn't played basketball – actually, they hadn't done _anything_ at all besides argue!

Tired of the bull crap, Kuroko marched right up between the blonde and bluenette and shoved them away from each other.

"Would you give it a fucking rest?!" Turning toward Aomine, the bluenette thrust a finger in his face. "I just wanted to lay in bed all day, but _you_ dragged me out saying that'd we do what _I_ want. Well we haven't done a damn thing I wanted, and I certainly didn't want to be led around by the nose while you two fought the whole time!" He growled, whipping around to face Kise.

"And _you!_ I understand you're worried about me, but _please_ lay off! If I don't want to talk about it that means I don't want to talk about it!"

Taking a few deep breaths, Kuroko backed away a few steps and glared at his two friends. "If all you want to do is fucking argue, then be my guest but don't do it in front of me!"

By the end of his little rant, Kuroko's chest was rising and falling rapidly, and his cheeks took on a slight red hue. Aomine and Kise stood dumbfounded, eyes wide and mouths falling open. Apparently, they hadn't considered him at all, and were only concerned with who was right and who was wrong.

After he caught his breath, Kuroko could only shake his head and sigh. "Now if you two don't mind, I'm going home to lay in bed – like I wanted to do originally."

Leaving it at that, the bluenette turned on his heel and began walking back to Aomine's. He could vaguely hear the sounds of his friends fumbling over their words, but the bluenette didn't look back. He was tired, so he was determined to take a nap before _anything_ else happened. Whether he be subjected to Aomine and Kise's pointless arguing again, or they decide to question him once more.

Oh boy, he couldn't wait…

…..

Rolling over in the bed – Aomine's bed – Kuroko groaned. He had meant to dispel his tiredness with the nap, but now he only felt more sluggish. Despite his eyelids being heavy, the bluenette couldn't sleep. The sounds of Kise and Aomine moving around downstairs kept Kuroko from a peaceful rest, but he should at least be thankful that they weren't arguing anymore. At least, not right _now._

"Hahh…" A sigh fell from his lips as he rolled over on his back and glanced at the ceiling. Today was kind of a bust, with Aomine dragging him out of bed and all. It was touching that his friend wanted to cheer him up but stressing him out even further wasn't the way to do that.

As Kuroko ran over the events of the day in his mind, he was interrupted by whispering just outside the door.

"Be quiet or he'll hear you!"

"Oh shut up, Tetsu is probably still asleep…"

The hinges of the door creaked slightly as it was gently pushed ajar so dumb and dumber could peek into the room.

"Do you think he's okay?" Kise muttered, trying to glance over Aomine's head.

Rolling his eyes, the tanned male grumbled. "He's fine, just tired I guess…"

Remind Kuroko to never take these two on a stake-out or anything that involved the fine art of silence. Even if he had been asleep before, he would have been woken up by their "whispers", which were more like talking in rough voices.

Swinging his legs out from under the comforter, the bluenette quietly tip-toed to the side of the door, being sure to stay out of sight. It wasn't really hard, especially with his low presence; but what made the feat so much easier was the fact that Aomine and Kise were distracted by their arguing.

"1…2…3!"

Counting to three, Kuroko quickly yanked open the door, sending his two former teammates sprawling out on the carpet.

"Waahh!" Kise squeaked as he landed on Aomine's back, causing the other to face plant into the ground once more.

"Get off me, you asshole!" The muffled shout had the blonde scrambling to get up, apologizing repeatedly.

"What the hell, Kise?!" Aomine growled as he got up.

"I couldn't help it, the door just opened!"

"Well doors don't just open-"

Both boys froze at Aomine's words, and slowly turned to face the bluenette who stood with his arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed. Kuroko watched as his friends' faces went pale, and they began to laugh awkwardly.

"Can I ask what you two are doing?" He inquired, a blue brow arching severely as his foot began to tap.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Kise shrunk away. "Eheheheh…We were just…uh, checking on you?" He supplied, looking to Aomine for help.

"Uhh, yeah. Yeah! We were just seeing if you needed anything…"

Kuroko examined their faces, easily detecting their poorly constructed excuses. "Hahh…" Rolling his eyes, the bluenette wandered back to the bed and flopped on his back.

"What do you want?" He asked again, giving up. These two were idiots to the end, it seemed.

Aomine's face suddenly became serious as he followed Kuroko over to the bed and sat down on the corner. "Look, Tetsu. We're just worried, okay?" Glancing over at Kise, he continued. "I know you've been having a tough time lately, especially with the…you know, _that incident…_ "

The last part was whispered so that the blonde wouldn't be able to hear since he still didn't know about Akashi.

Kuroko had to swallow the lump in his throat before he could respond. "How do you expect me to be fine, Aomine-kun?" He ground out, tears beginning to brim his icy eyes. "I feel like I'm being pulled apart and there is nothing I can do about it! He…doesn't want to see me anymore so what the hell am I supposed to do?!"

Crying out in frustration, Kuroko pulled at his hair. He was going to break down if they kept asking him if he was okay. There was no way he could be okay. Not only had Akashi's father found out about their relationship, but he had nearly been raped and then had his heart ripped out of his chest. There were reminders all over his body that kept the bluenette from forgetting, and the fact that the red-head wasn't here nearly _killed_ him! It just proved that everything that happened wasn't a dream, and that things weren't the way they had always been. Oh, and let's not forget that he no longer had a home to go back to, nowhere but Aomine's.

Kuroko's life was basically falling apart, so there was no fucking way he could be okay!

"Alright, alright…" Aomine placated, removing the bluenette's hands and instead threading his own through the other's cerulean locks. "I'm sorry, Tetsu. I know that this all sucks. _I know…_ " Bringing Kuroko into his chest, the tanned male held his long-time friend and former shadow close, trying to comfort him. Kise was hovering around the two of them, not quite knowing what was going on or what to do.

The tears that had threatened to spill earlier now streamed down his cheeks, though Kuroko was able to keep himself from making any noises. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Aomine and buried his face in his friend's chest. Although this wasn't the chest he wanted to cry on, Kuroko was forever grateful that he had such great friends. He had hit rock bottom, but Aomine and Kise were here to pick him up and help him back to his feet.

"Shhh, Tetsu…Everything will be alright…" Aomine cooed silently. Kise was also muttering words of comfort, despite not knowing what was happening.

Kuroko wasn't sure how long he cried before he fell asleep, all he knew was that he didn't have any dreams that night. His mind was completely silent, which suited him just fine, because that meant he didn't have any nightmares either…

…..

A gentle knock sounded against the solid oak, catching Akashi's attention. It was nearly two in the morning, so there could only be one person at his door. "Come in, Tanaka." He responded, not even picking his head up from the papers on his desk.

"Excuse me, Young Master…"

The aging man approached the red-head quietly, a manila folder carefully tucked between his arms. Catching sight of the folder, Akashi immediately set down his pen and turned his attention to his long-time butler.

"Did you find what I asked you to?" He asked, levelling the man an expectant gaze.

Nodding, Tanaka deposited the folder on the desk. "Of course."

Leafing through his recently obtained papers, a smirk curled at Akashi's lips. "Excellent. You are dismissed." Waving a hand, the red-head didn't pay any more attention to the man as he bowed and left the room. When everything was done and settled, Akashi would have to make sure to reward Tanaka for always being loyal. The man was risking a lot by helping Akashi, especially under the watchful eye of Masaomi.

A few hours of studying later, the red-head leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. His scarlet eyes stayed locked onto the papers from the folder, and the smirk from earlier grew wider.

"Checkmate, Father." Akashi muttered into the silent room. This was the first step in getting his Tetsuya back. No matter how much he just wanted to run to the bluenette directly, the red-head needed to remove all obstacles from his path. The biggest hurdle of course being Akashi Masaomi – the man who had been hanging over the younger Akashi's head his whole life.

Before he could do anything else, Akashi needed to deal with his father. Never had the red-head had a reason to stand up and defend himself against his father, but now he had to draw a line. Kuroko Tetsuya was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and Akashi certainly wasn't going to let his father take that away. Despite the red-head's own short-comings and failures, Akashi Seijuurou would let nothing stand in the way of his love for the bluenette, even if the bluenette himself would no longer forgive him – but that was a bridge he would need to cross later.

"I love you, Tetsuya. Please…Just wait a little longer, okay?" Akashi's whispered words carried softly through the silence, dying before ever having the chance to be heard. Sparing one last glance at the magnificent full moon, the red-head closed the curtains and wandered over to his bed. Hopefully he could meet Kuroko again in his dreams tonight, because that is the only way Akashi could see him.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N:**

 **I'm sorry for not updating in a while, but I'm back now! Hopefully you enjoy this chapter, and let me know what you think! :)**

"Are you sure, Tetsu?" Aomine asked for the tenth time that morning. "You don't have to push yourself. I'm sure no one would mind if you took the rest of the week off…"

Shaking his head, Kuroko finished packing his bag before sliding his coat over his shoulders. "I can't do that, Aomine-kun. I've missed too much school as it is," Sliding his feet into his shoes, the bluenette turned towards his old partner. "Besides, I'll already have to make up some excuse to my teammates for missing the last few days."

Though looking slightly worried, Aomine dimly nodded his head. Kuroko did make a good point, but the tanned teen still thought that he should get some rest. Although the smaller bluenette claimed that he was fine, Aomine knew that his body was still covered in bruises, especially his neck.

"Anyway," Kuroko began as Aomine continued to fret, not noticing the shorter teen approaching him. "You should be going to school too. I'm sure Momoi-san is furious with you."

At that, his head immediately snapped up and his eyes went wide. Shit! He had forgotten all about Momoi. From the miniscule smirk on Kuroko's face, he had guessed as much.

Grumbling, Aomine reluctantly agreed. The tanned teen hadn't been to school the last few days either, so he might as well show his face every once in a while. Turning towards his former shadow, Aomine donned a serious expression. "Fine, we'll both go to school. But _only_ if you promise to call or text me if _anything_ happens – and I mean anything, Tetsu."

Pinning Aomine with a blank stare, Kuroko eventually nodded his head. "Alright. Then I'll see you after school, Aomine-kun." And with that, he was out the door and on his way to Seirin for the first time in nearly a week.

…..

Walking into class, Kuroko was nearly knocked down as Kagami ran over to him. "Kuroko, where the hell have you been?!" He shouted, garnering the attention of several nearby students.

"Please do not shout into my ear, Kagami-kun." Kuroko calmly replied, face as blank as ever. He expected as much from the red-head and knew that his questioning would only be a warm-up for when he went to basketball practice later.

Kagami's face was bewildered as he quickly followed the bluenette over to their seats. "Don't give me that," He angrily whispered. "You've been gone for almost a week and we didn't hear anything at all from you. We were all worried!"

"I'm sorry for worrying you, but there was a family emergency and I ended up forgetting my cellphone in the haste." The bluenette easily lied, voice as dead and even as his expression.

The red-head's face was skeptical, but just as he went to voice his concerns, their homeroom teacher came in the room to start class. "This isn't over…" Kuroko's light angrily muttered before turning to face the front. The bluenette had figured Kagami wouldn't instantly buy the story, but he would have to stick with it anyway. There was absolutely no way he could tell Seirin what _actually_ happened, and he didn't want to either.

"Hahh…" Sighing, Kuroko rested his cheek on a fist and glanced out the window. He wasn't really in the mood to learn about quadratic equations, so instead he chose to gaze out over the horizon. His eyes avoided the courtyard as much as possible, especially since the last time he was there, Akashi was with him…

…..

When the last bell of the day finally rang, Kuroko was tempted to just go home and skip basketball practice. He was dreading his team's confrontation, and he didn't want to deal with all the questions. Besides, how the hell was the bluenette supposed to change in front of everybody when he still had bruises all over? They were just now starting to fade, all except those around his neck, of course. For some reason, the stubborn marks around his throat refuses to vanish, serving as a constant reminder of his suffering.

Pulling on his tie knot, Kuroko packed his bag as slowly as possible. Kagami had walked off earlier most likely believing the bluenette was following, and it wouldn't be long before he came storming back in the classroom. At least Kuroko had a few minutes to come up with a plan before he finally had to face the music…

Exactly three minutes lately, a very angry, very _sweaty_ Kagami Taiga burst into the classroom. "What the hell, Kuroko! I thought you were behind me."

Glancing up at the panting red-head, the bluenette calmly slid out of his seat and slung his bag over his shoulder. "Kagami-kun shouldn't assume things." He stated simply before sauntering out of the room. The sound of Kagami fumbling after him was drowned out by his racing thoughts. Kuroko wanted desperately to run away, but he couldn't keep avoiding his teammates. Besides, maybe drowning himself in activity could give him some semblance of relief.

Approaching the open gym doors with Kagami at his tail, Kuroko took a deep breath. Well, it was now or never…

 _'_ _I'd rather it be never…'_

No, no, no. He had to pull on his big boy pants and get it over with! Make it quick and painless – like ripping off a band aid…Maybe that wasn't the right comparison. Whoever said ripping off a band aid quickly was painless was a damn liar. Whether quickly or not, pulling off a band aid always hurt, especially when it gets caught on hair; which it almost always does.

A pat on his back pulled him out of his stalling. "Why are you just standing there? Let's go in." Kagami said as he dragged the bluenette by the arm.

The sound of bouncing balls echoed around the gym, as did the chatter of several conversations. All noise, however, instantly ceased when the red-headed ace announced their arrival.

"Hey guys, Kuroko is here today!" He shouted, garnering the attention of everyone. There was another moment of still silence before feet thundered on the polished wood floor over to the entrance.

Many voices shouted at once, overwhelming Kuroko and nearly giving him a headache.

"Kuroko!"

"Where were you?"

"What happened?"

"Are you okay?"

"You better guess again if you think I'm going to let you off easy!"

The shrill voice of his coach sounded above all else, silencing the team immediately. They parted like the red sea a moment later, revealing the fuming brunette. Pinning Kuroko with a mighty glare, the girl marched over to him and pulled on his cheek. "You think you can skip a week of practice and not get punished?" She began, eyes burning with fury. "Well think again! You're going to be sorry!"

Kuroko leaned away from the shrieking girl, trying to get his ears to stop ringing. Well, being run to the ground might be less painful than an interrogation, so he might as well just accept it.

"I'm sorry, Riko-san. Let me change and then I'll listen to my punishment."

Ignoring the questions of his teammates, Kuroko quickly pushed his way through the crowd and towards the locker room. The more he could avoid being the center of attention, the more time he would have to think about what he would say.

Either way, though, Kuroko knew he wouldn't be let off so easily…

…..

With a smirk on his face, Akashi strode confidently out of Ijuuin Corporations. Everything had gone according to plan so far, and he was almost ready to confront his father. Previously he would have been too afraid to face his father in this manner, but now he wasn't going to hold back. Akashi Masaomi had crossed a line when he involved Kuroko, and the red-head wasn't going to sit back and allow that to happen.

Glancing at his watch, Akashi determined that he had about thirty minutes before his next appointment. He could really use a break, so he decided to relax for a bit in the nearby park. Grabbing a cup of coffee from a local café, Akashi leisurely strolled through the park and thought over his plan of action. Everything was going surprisingly well, and it was only a matter of time before the red-head stood up to his father and then could try and patch things up with Kuroko. He knew that he royally screwed up, however, so he wasn't sure how he could even face the bluenette.

As Akashi calmly walked down the path, he saw a flash of blue that nearly stopped his heart. Further down the path on a bench sat Kuroko Tetsuya, who was sipping away at a milkshake as his icy blue eyes blankly regarded two arguing males in front of him. Akashi's breath caught in his lungs as his heart began to beat faster. It was his first time in a while seeing the bluenette somewhere other than his dreams.

 _'_ _Tetsuya…'_ He sighed in his head, eyes going wide as they landed on Kuroko's neck. Angry bruises ran from beneath the collar of his shirt and curved around his throat, a devastating reminder that Akashi couldn't protect the only person in this world that he loved.

Clenching his jaw, Akashi quickly ducked behind a tree and strained his ears to listen to Aomine and Kise.

 _"_ _What. The. Hell. Is._ That. _Kurokocchi?!"_ He heard Kise growl, obviously referring to the purple rings around his neck.

 _"_ _Its nothing, Kise-kun."_ Kuroko returned, voice slightly hoarse. From that and the red rim around his eyes, Akashi could tell that he'd been crying, and it absolutely crushed him.

 _"_ _That is certainly not nothing, Kurokocchi! You have somebody's hand on your damn throat! And you! How the hell do you not care about this? Look at his neck! Its black and blue and I swear to everything holy once I find the bastard who did it I'll kill him."_

 _"_ _Calm down, Kise. I'm not happy about this either, but you won't be able to get anything out of Tetsu. I've been asking since he came home crying-"_

At Aomine's words, Akashi stopped listening. He couldn't take it anymore, especially since it was _his_ fault Kuroko had been crying. Biting his lip, the red-head sucked in a shaky breath as he began to walk back the way he came. He wanted so badly to turn around and run to Kuroko, but he knew he couldn't go back with nothing to show. Before he could even attempt to beg for forgiveness, he needed to show the bluenette he was serious about their relationship, and the only way he could do that was to show that he was willing to stand up to his father – the main cause of this whole problem.

Glancing back at the bluenette once more, Akashi hastened his pace out of the park.

"I'll be coming for you soon, Tetsuya. I promise."


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N:**

 **I'm really sorry about this super later update, but I got a new job recently so I've been really busy. My schedule is constantly changing so its hard for me to find time to write, but don't worry! I haven't forgotten about this fic or any of my others! It will probably just take a little longer for the updates, but I hope you'll forgive me! Anyways, enjoy and let me know what you think! :)**

"Thank you very much for your time and support. I will be in touch…"

A smile creeped onto Akashi's face as he walked out of the office building. His plan was coming together exactly the way he wanted it to; it was only a matter of time before he took down his father. Due to Akashi Masaomi's dubious actions as of late, all the companies the red-head visited were more than willing to offer him their support. While it may have been a different story many years ago, Masaomi had lately taken some extreme measures to assert his power which garnered him many enemies. All of this played perfectly into Akashi's hands, and allowed him to easily set up his trap. To be honest, it was like he was partaking in a game of shogi – something he would never lose.

Lost in thought, Akashi's feet subconsciously carried him to the place he most wanted to be; with Kuroko. Well, not _exactly_ where Kuroko was – he was probably at school at this hour of the day – but where the bluenette surely would return. Realizing where he was, Akashi's red eyes stared blankly at Aomine's house. It still wasn't time for him to go crawling back to Kuroko, no matter how badly he wanted to. The red-head still wasn't even close to making anything up to him, not even ridding them of the obstacles in their path. When he did, however, there would be nothing stopping Akashi from winning back the bluenette, regardless of how many years it took.

"What are you doing here?" A gruff voice called from behind, startling the red-head from his thoughts – though he didn't let it show.

Turning his body to the side, Akashi saw Aomine approaching him on the sidewalk. His expression was rather unpleasant, though it's not like he could blame the bluenette. The red-head had hurt his best friend so deeply, it was no surprise he wouldn't be agreeable with Akashi.

"What _right_ do you have to be here?" Aomine pressed, coming to a stop directly in front of the red-head.

"Daiki-" He began, though he was cut off moments later – much to his displeasure.

Shaking his head, a snarl curled the taller teen's lips. "No. Don't _Daiki_ me, Akashi! I don't care what reasons you may think you have for doing what you did in that analytical brain of yours, but this time, you're _wrong._ "

The bluenette was practically seething as he continued. "Tetsu didn't deserve that. Hell, _nobody_ did – but _especially_ not _him._ So whatever you need to say, save your breath because there is no way I'm going to let you see him."

For a while, Akashi could only stare impassively at Aomine, trying to reign in the rage that suddenly burst through him. Everything the tanned teen had said was true, so that wasn't the problem. The _problem_ was that Aomine seemed to think that Akashi wasn't already _aware_ of how bad his screw up had been. That the red-head didn't _know_ that his mistake had bordered on betrayal. Sucking in a sharp breath through gritted teeth, Akashi desperately tried to hold his temper – he really had no right to be angry at Aomine.

"You listen here, _Daiki…_ " He drawled, eyes flashing. "If you think for one _second_ that I don't already know just how badly I hurt Tetsuya, then you really are the idiot you play to be."

Akashi saw the other's jaw clench, but he didn't stop there.

"If you think that I don't go every day regretting my decision, then you are sadly mistaken. If you think that I don't curse being born to the Akashi family, then you must be delusional. _If you think_ I don't spend every minute of every day wishing Tetsuya was back in my arms, then I have painfully overestimated you all these years, Daiki."

The silence that fell between the pair was brutally tense. Akashi could see the anger pooling in the bluenette's eyes, but he wouldn't relent. The red-head wouldn't stand by and let anyone question his love for Kuroko, even if he himself had given them cause. The words he spoke rang true in his mind as he turned away from his former teammate and began walking down the sidewalk. He still had things to sort out, but he would be back. Oh yes, _he would be back._

Pausing several feet away, Akashi cocked his head back as he glared sideways at Aomine. "There is nothing in this world that will keep me from him, Daiki. Not my reputation, not my father, and certainly not _you._ " Turning away once more, the red-head could feel the eyes boring intensely into his back.

"If you even try, then I suggest you prepare to have hell fire rained down on you, Aomine Daiki…"

…..

Aomine could only glare at the red-head's retreating form. His jaw was clenched almost painfully tight and only eased when one tense hand lifted and worked the muscles of his face. Akashi's last words replayed hauntingly in his mind, and he didn't know if he should shiver from the implications of the threat or stand his ground and protect his friend.

When his former captain's back finally faded in the distance, Aomine released a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He didn't regret confronting the red-head, but _damn_ was it nerve-wracking when those fiery eyes were turned on you. Sure, Akashi issued threats here and there back in middle school, but never had Aomine actually been on the receiving end of his unbridled fury.

Even though Akashi seemed honest in his words and intentions, the bluenette was still cautious. After seeing Kuroko break down like that, could anyone really even blame him? Kuroko Tetsuya; strong and independent, willful and courageous and unbreakable – an all around I-don't-cry-till-I-die kind of guy – had managed to cry himself to sleep. His former shadow's sobs were still fresh in his mind, and Aomine just didn't know if he'd be able to let that go. It was obvious that whatever happened between Akashi and Kuroko was no mere lover's tiff or misunderstanding – it had legitimately broken off a piece of the bluenette's heart, and Aomine just wouldn't stand for that.

He may not necessarily love Kuroko in the way Akashi did, but there was no denying that the little bluenette held a section of his heart. Aomine only wanted him to find happiness, and if Akashi couldn't give him that, then the tanned teen would make sure that Kuroko didn't get hurt again.

…..

As one would expect, practice was brutal. Riko made him run twice as much as everyone else, even making him do wind sprints while the rest of the team participated in a scrimmage. Groaning, Kuroko flopped to the floor in a heap, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Come on, Kuroko. Let's go get changed and head over to Maji burger or something!"

Rolling his eyes, the bluenette shook his head. "You go ahead, Kagami-kun. I'm just gonna catch my breath here for a moment."

"Man, you really need to work on your stamina."

The glare that Kuroko directed at the red-head after that comment was lost on him as he turned and walked over to the locker room. Sighing, he stared absently at the ceiling for a while. At least now he didn't have to change in front of everyone.

Just as he thought that, his coach's face came into view as she stood over him and dropped something on his chest. Lifting a brow, Kuroko glanced down and spotted several keys.

"I've gotta run and since you're just lazing around here, you have to lock up the gym and return the keys to the office."

Realizing the girl wanted confirmation that he heard her, Kuroko simply nodded his head in understanding and watched as she walked off. His teammates filed out of the locker room shortly after, all yelling goodbyes to him as they left. Kagami was the last to go, and after telling the bluenette that he better be at practice everyday next week, disappeared out the metal doors.

Well, at least one of his problems was solved, but now he had to somehow make it all the way to the office on his jelly legs. _Fantastic._

Grunting, Kuroko pushed himself into a sitting position, feeling as the nausea made itself known. It was a while before he pushed the feeling down, allowing him enough strength to lever to his feet.

The bluenette's vision swam as pressure gathered in his head, but he managed to stumble his way into the locker room and onto one of the wooden benches. Just as he peeled the sweat-soaked jersey from his rapidly cooling body, Kuroko heard someone call his name from the gym doors.

 _'_ _That's funny, I thought everyone left already…'_

Shrugging his shoulders, he figured he better finish changing before he greet whoever was out there. Whether it was someone from his team or even a classmate, it wouldn't be good for them to see the yellowish-brown bruises still winding over his body.

As quickly as he could, Kuroko shoved off his shorts and pulled off his shirt. While he managed to get his uniform pants on rather easily, it took the bluenette considerably longer to button up his shirt with his rushing fingers. He nearly tripped over the bench as he spun to find his shoes, only avoiding his imminent downfall – literally – by slamming his shoulder into the nearby lockers.

"Tch…" Clicking his tongue, Kuroko's body tensed as the doors to the locker room were pushed open.

A head popped in, tentatively calling out to him. "Kurokocchi?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, the bluenette pressed a hand to his chest. "Oh, its just you, Kise-kun…" He grumbled, gently rubbing his injured shoulder.

"What do you mean, _its just you_?!" Kise cried, crocodile tears easily forming in his eyes. "I came here just to see how you were, Kurokocchi!"

Pinning his friend with a level stare, Kuroko could only sigh. He really wasn't in the mood to humor the energetic blonde today – but then again, who ever was? Turning his back to Kise, the bluenette wiped the remaining sweat off his face and neck before throwing his towel in the laundry. He wasn't really quite sure who did it, but every day – without fail – the basket would be empty and the towels clean. Not that the bluenette was complaining or anything. Who was he to question the magical laundry fairies?

"Kurokocchi!" Kise whined again, obviously unhappy with the lack of attention. Rather than giving in, Kuroko just continued to get himself ready to leave. All he wanted right now was to go home, curl up on the couch, and drown himself in popcorn while binging on cheap foreign dramas.

Slamming his locker shut, the bluenette shouldered his bag before finally turning to face the blonde again. "Can I help you, Kise-kun?" He questioned dryly, his face as blank as always.

Instead of giving the usual high-pitched, whiny response, Kise simply stared at him seriously. It was weird, because "serious" and "Kise" didn't really belong in the same sentence. Hell, they didn't even belong in the same thought.

After several more moments of silence, Kuroko's former teammate finally spoke up. "Are you okay, Kurokocchi?" Kise asked as he pressed a hand to the bluenette's forehead. "You look kind of pale…"

Shrugging away from the touch, Kuroko waved off his friend's concerns. "I'm fine, Kise-kun. Now if you don't mind, can we go?" He stated impatiently. "I don't really like to stand around sweaty, smelly locker rooms for no reason."

Not giving the other a chance to respond, Kuroko strode into the gym and towards the entrance. Waving the keys in the air, he turned to Kise once more. "I still have to return these to the office, so either you can wait for me at the gate or go home."

Leaving a gaping Kise in his wake, Kuroko headed back into the main school building. Sometimes it sure felt nice to shut the chatterbox up.

…..

It was about ten minutes into their walk to Aomine's house when Kise pulled him to the side and leveled him with a serious gaze. Kuroko had immediately narrowed his eyes and tried to yank his arm away, but the blonde was having none of it.

"Stop it, Kurokocchi." He ordered, his yellow eyes steely.

Ceasing his struggle, the bluenette stared right back. This time, however, his face was lined with slight irritation. Why couldn't he just go home and watch his stupid dramas? Was that too much to ask? Was it a sin to want to drown himself in probably-already-stale-popcorn while he dozed to the overly dramatic acting of movies from the forties and fifties?

Lips pressed into a thin line, Kuroko narrowed his eyes even further when Kise took too long to continue. This frustration seriously wasn't helping with the throbbing headache he had developed earlier. The pressure was enough to leave him light-headed.

"Well what is it?" The bluenette snapped, not even feeling bad for letting his irritation out on his friend. "I don't have all day." That, of course, was a lie. He had nothing to do besides the urge to binge on cheesy movies, and perhaps catch a short nap.

To his surprise, Kise's hold didn't ease up, nor did the hard lines of worry etched into his usually sparkly face. It seemed like he was still working out what he wanted to say. When he did eventually speak, it was to ask, "Kurokocchi, are you sure you're okay? You're seriously pale." He paused, before correcting himself. "I mean like ghost white. Not your usual paleness."

Kuroko was about to open his mouth and tell the blonde – yet _again_ – that he was _fine_ , but out of nowhere, blackness began to encroach on his vision. The unbearable urge to close his eyes and go to sleep washed over him like a tidal wave as all his limbs grew limp. The bluenette barely registered crumbling into the blonde's chest, or even Kise's frantic calls of his name. All of that just seemed so unimportant when compared with his desire to give in to unconsciousness, and so that is exactly what he did…


End file.
